


Snakes and Crowns

by PopsAfterDark (knittersrevolt)



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Angst and Fluff and Smut, Cheryl Blossom Needs a Hug, Divorced Alice Cooper, Enemies to Lovers, F/M, Jason Blossom Being an Asshole, Jason Blossom is Alive, Minor Archie Andrews/Veronica Lodge, Minor Cheryl Blossom/Toni Topaz, No Chic Cooper, Skeptical Betty Cooper, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Southside Serpent Jughead Jones, sleuthing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-24
Updated: 2018-07-24
Packaged: 2019-04-07 11:39:30
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 39,020
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14080107
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/knittersrevolt/pseuds/PopsAfterDark
Summary: Betty Cooper just can't seem to fit in at Southside High. It's run down, everyone seems to hate her just on principle, and the people who are running the Red and Black don't want her help at all. To make matters worse her recently divorced mother is trying to find her 'soulmate' by going to conventions and touching as many hands as possible.Betty doesn't even believe in soulmates anyway. Just because some people's nervous systems happen to sync up when they touch for the first time doesn't mean they're soulmates destined to fall in love. Right?





	1. A.N.S.S.

**Author's Note:**

> Beta'd by a92vm

“Can anyone tell me what A.N.S.S. stands for?” the teacher, Ms. Pensley, asked from her post at the front of the room.

Betty raised her hand tall and straight. No one else did. It was her first day at Southside High and she was absolutely certain she was somehow doing it wrong. When she passed through the metal detectors she had smiled at the security people and asked them how their day was. They did not respond. She showed up promptly to wait for her peer mentor who never showed. Now here she was in class, the only person with their hand raised for a painfully easy question. Everyone had to pass a bondmate health unit starting in third grade. The information had been drilled into their heads, despite the astronomically low chances that they would ever find the person they could match with.

“Yes, Ms,… Cooper is it?” Ms. Pensley was tall for a woman, old and frail. She was so thin Betty was almost afraid she’d be blown over by the AC. It was early enough in the school year to still be warm. Sticky humidity leaked in through the cracks in the old building. Every room was stiflingly hot and packed full of bodies with barely a breeze coming from the vents to cool them.

“Yes Ma’am, Betty. A.N.S.S. stands for Autonomic Nervous System Synchronization. More commonly known as bondmates or markmates due to the large black marks that appear during synchronization.” The other students didn’t even seem to notice that she’d spoken.

The teacher looked less than impressed despite the correct answer. “Yes. Toni, can you tell me why we learn about A.N.S.S., since you seem to be too busy on that phone to pay attention?”

The class let out a soft ‘ooooooo’ behind her. The girl with the colorful hair rolled her brown eyes, “Who gives a shit? You have a better chance of winning the lottery than finding a bond mate. What is it, like 1 in 40,000? It’s not going to happen, so who gives a fuck about side effects?”

The teacher huffed a sigh, “Language, please.”

“We care about the side effects because they’re potentially lethal.” Betty answered before she could stop herself. Someone coughed out a ‘Loser’. It was followed by laughter. Betty continue on undeterred, “Several stories of people dying due to exposure have happened because Syncers didn’t realize they were freezing to death because they shared body temp experience with their partners.”

Toni shot a sharp smile Betty’s way, “Well look at the princess. Concerned with true love are we? Waiting for Prince Charming’s kiss? Gonna save your v-card until your soulmate comes along?” Toni blew a sarcastic kiss her way.

“No,” Betty answered defensively. “Soulmates aren’t real, and A.N.S.S. is -”

“Ladies, that’s quite enough.” Ms. Pensley adjusted her glasses, “Why don’t we talk about platonic bonds for a minute.”

“Bullshit.” 

Betty whipped her head at the word. A boy with shaggy dark hair hidden beneath a gray knit crown beanie was glaring their teacher down.

“Excuse me?”

“I said,” he emphasized, leaning forward in his chair with one dark boot resting on his desk, “Bull. Shit. Everyone knows that platonic bonds are just what they called homosexual bonds back when people didn’t want to accept that people could have gay soulmates. It’s outdated, it’s shitty, and it’s wrong. Hence, Bullshit.”

“You don’t think any bonds can be platonic? At all?” Betty mused out loud, her body swiveled to face the dark stranger. The boy’s eyes narrowed on her. “I’m not saying it wasn’t an oppression thing, it clearly was, but just because people experience A.N.S.S. doesn’t mean they have to fall in love.”

“Typical,” he scoffed at her, “the privileged few believe all the fucked up shit their parents feed them. Every ‘Platonic Bond’ pair that currently exists has come out as gay. So no, I don’t think it’s anything more than Bullshit.” He glowered down at her.

“Mr. Jones, can you watch your mouth, or do you need to make yet another trip down to the principal’s office?” 

He abruptly stood from his chair. He was taller than Betty thought he’d be. He was lean muscle draped in a dark t-shirt and ripped jeans, “As long as it gets me away from this propagandist prejudiced crap, I’d be happy to.” He slung a messenger bag over his shoulder and stormed out. The class erupted into hushed conversation.

Betty was absolutely taken aback. She’d never seen anything like that at Riverdale high. As the bell rang and the students filtered out she conceded that a lot of what she’d seen that day was nothing like the world she’d lived in on the North side. Drug deals were made out in the open during passing. Vape smoke filled the girl’s restrooms at all times. Conversations that would have been made in hushed embarrassed tones were common place in the middle of the cafeteria. She’d never felt like such a fish out of water before. She’d been in the Riverdale school system her whole life, she grew up knowing all of the students and their parents.

From Kev: “Keep that head up, Sunshine! Hope ur having a great first day! So much Varchie goss to tell u about later! OMG!”

She smiled down at her phone. Just that little reassurance helped steal her resolve to remain positive about this change. So what her parents were getting divorced and her Mom couldn’t afford to live on the Northside anymore. So what if her dad wouldn’t let her stay with him so she could keep going to Riverdale. So what if Polly and her two year old twins had moved into their tiny three bedroom apartment and were keeping Betty from sleeping. At all. Ever.

It was her senior year, she still had her besties, and in a few short months she’d be off to college. She could handle 8 hours a day without them. She’d find a way to persevere. As the day wound to a close Betty became even more determined to make the best of her new high school career. Step one was of course to join the school paper. She’d take the Red and Black and turn it around, just like she had with the Blue and Gold.

Outside the door to the office she spent a minute breathing deeply to calm her nerves. She smoothed her sweater, tightened her ponytail, then confidently opened the door.

Inside were the two people she’d somehow managed to offend already. Beanie Boy and Colored Hair girl.

The boy looked at her, traded glances with the girl, then looked around the room, “Are you lost?”

She instinctively corrected her posture to shoulders back, chin high. “Nope. My name is Betty Cooper.” She strode close enough to offer him her hand. He looked at it, then back at her looking almost offended. She took it back after he stared at it for a few more seconds. Lots of people who didn’t approve of bonding didn’t shake hands. It was fine. She could still do this.

“I’m here to write for the Red and Black. I can provide my sample work from the Register as well as from the Blue and Gold newsletter from Riverdale High. I’m an excellent worker, I’m tenacious, and I can cover any section you want me too.”

Toni snickered at her, “Yeah, I think we’re good here. Jughead, you need any help.”

“Nope.” He answered briskly.

“Awesome, neither do I. Looks like we don’t have any open positions.” Toni crossed her arms and leaned heavily against a desk piled high with junk.

Betty was not about to give up so easily, “I know newspapers. I grew up in the Register offices. I bleed ink, so I know that there is no such thing as an overstaffed paper.”

Toni glared her down, “Blondie, take a hint. Actually, I don’t think I was hinting at all. The answer is no.”

“Are you the Editor in Chief?” Betty snapped back.

“No,” Jughead answered, “but we make the decisions together. If she says no, I say no.”

The look on his face, the quiet disdain almost broke her resolve. “Just give me a chance. One chance. I’ll write about anything. I’ll do the nit-picky formatting work. I’ll clean the office. I’ll go on coffee runs.” 

It sounded desperate, and she knew it. Jughead’s face softened just a fraction, “Look, this isn’t Riverdale. This is Southside. We don’t write about fashion or gossip. We write hard hitting articles about actual issues. We write the real stuff. We investigate. No rumors, no hunches, we demand concrete evidence. You want to write for us? Fine, but you’re on shit duty until you bring a story to us.”

“Are you shitting me?” Toni half whispered back to him. 

He shrugged in response, “Do you like formatting?”

Toni gave up, resigned to having a new office mate, “We have two rules. One, don’t rearrange any paper in this room for any reason. I have a memory system so if you move things it’ll be ruined. Two, if you ever write something that turns out to be false, you never get to speak to either of us ever again.”

“Ever.” Jughead agreed.

Betty nodded, “Journalistic integrity is very important to me,” she assured them. 

“Good.” An awkward pause followed. “This is when you should go get coffee.” Toni offered condescendingly. 

“I don’t know what you like.” Betty volleyed back.

Toni turned her head back to Jughead, “I don’t like her.”

“Black.” Jughead said with an exasperated sigh, “We have a pot. Just go get dark coffee grounds. We have some research to do tonight. We need the caffeine. Before you ask, no, we don’t need your help and it doesn’t concern you anyway. There is however a basketball game tonight vs Riverdale. That will be yours to cover.”

She was planning on going anyway, if only to cheer on Veronica in the Vixens. “Coffee and sports. Anything else I can help with today?”

“Absolutely not.” Jughead started packing up. As Betty turned to leave he called to her, “Betty? Impress me.”

“Oh, I will.” 

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

The game was just like any other game. Betty took notes about players, looked for assists and point leaders. She even interviewed both coaches at the half for as long as they would allow her to ask questions. Kevin politely put up with all of it, interjecting comments about the players he would and would not consider hooking up with. He was good company, she loved Kev, but her mind was elsewhere. She needed a story. Something meaty if she was going to get into the good graces of her new writing team. When the fourth quarter began and it became painfully obvious that Riverdale was going to slaughter Southside, due in part to Archie’s skills, she began watching the crowd instead of the game.

After Archie shot a three pointer he turned towards Veronica in the crowd. She cheered wildly and blew him a kiss. The Southside responded with a three point shot of their own. Betty watched as that player turned not towards the court or a student, but instead locked eyes upon a teacher half hidden behind the bleachers. The woman blushed, her eyes lowered to the ground beneath her spectacles. The boy ran off with a huge grin on his face 

Betty damn near gasped out loud, “Kev! Kevin! Who is that teacher over there? She looks really familiar.”

“Oh yeah,” he squinted, “I think that’s Ms. Grundy. She tutored Archie back in sophomore year for music. Why?”

She gave him a wicked grin, “I think I have a story. You up for some sleuthing tonight?”

“You know how much I adore you in Nancy Drew mode, but I have a date in the woods with a certain still-in-the-closet young man.”

Betty sighed, “Kev, he’s not worth it!”

“I know!” He exclaimed, “That’s why I’m not dating him. He’s just a hookup that I go back to when I am in between relationships.”

“Tell me that when he and Midge are voted most likely to get married it won’t sting. Even a little.” She hugged his arm.

“Okay, fine. It will hurt, but until he’s ready to come out I’m not going to push him and he can stay in Narnia while I date hot available guys.”

The game ended with a loud buzz and a roar of cheers from their section. Betty recorded the final score and started shadowing Grundy after giving Kevin a quick squeeze goodbye. Instead of getting in her car and heading home like everyone else, Grundy cast furtive glances around the halls as she made her way back toward the classes. She ducked into a door Betty could only assume was her classroom. Betty quietly snuck down the hallway before darting into a closet across from the door. 

“What the fuck are you doing here?” Betty jumped as the words came out of the darkness. The closet wasn’t wide, but it was about ten feet deep, leaving plenty of room for storage and apparently other guests. Toni’s face came into focus in the darkness.

“What are you doing here?” Betty whispered back. It didn’t take long for them to figure out they were there on the same mission.

“Did you follow me here to get the story?” Toni demanded.

“No! I was covering the game and I saw Grundy and a student giving each other inappropriate looks. I followed her here.”

The door opened again, bathing their room in light. Betty crouched down behind a shelf.

“I got the film. Load quick, Max is only a minute away.”

“Jughead?” Betty asked.

He was only an inch or two away from her and flinched back in the shelves when she spoke. “What the fuck?”

Toni giggled at his reaction, “Seems Barbara Walters over here already figured out that Grundy’s a great big old perv.” 

Jughead carefully skirted past her, “Yeah well, they aren’t exactly great at hiding it.”

“Really? I can’t get any credit for figuring this out on my own within 24 hours?”

Jughead rolled his eyes, “Everybody shut up. We have a sting operation to get to.”

Max’s footsteps echoed in the empty halls. They waited for the sound of a door opening and closing before they came out of the closet crouched to keep their heads below the level of the window. Betty noted that her touch wasn’t the only one Jughead avoided. He also handed the film over to Toni carefully avoiding her fingers. He made sure their shoulders didn’t touch when they peered through the window in the thick wooden door.

“Damn! They’re at her desk, I have a bad angle.” Toni’s eyes were pressed to the camera.

“We’ll just have to wait it out.” Jughead said with disappointment. 

“Hold on,” Betty pulled her phone out, “I had my phone fitted with an enhanced microphone. I’m sure it can pick up what they’re saying from here. The gap under the door is pretty wide. I can slip it under, record, and pull it back out.”

Toni glowered, “People like pictures. Recordings are easy to fake.”

“But it’s a start.” Jughead conceded. “Betty, you record. Toni, keep your eyes peeled. If you get the shot, take it.” 

Jughead moved into a guard position, ready to signal if anyone came down the hall. Betty pretended as if every time Toni stepped on her fingers or shoved her over with a knee it was unintentional and just the result of her being on the ground while Toni was on her tiptoes. Jughead gave two short whistles not long after. Betty and Toni gathered their equipment and were down the hall and out a door before the interloper could turn the corner.

Toni didn’t say anything to her, or even really look at Betty, but she did say, “We meet up at Pop’s when we get separated on a stake out. Bring the tape.”

What she didn’t give Betty was a time. She sat in an empty booth with an empty milkshake glass in front of her for hours before they showed up at the stroke of midnight. They came in laughing, looking like the best of friends. Betty longed to have that back. No, she would have that back. She’d prove her worth and have a set of people she could call friends in that wasteland, and another set on the Northside too. She knew how to be likable when it came to upper middle class kids. She would just have to figure out how to be likable to these people.

“Well, well.” Toni forced her to scoot farther into the booth by bumping Betty’s thigh with her own until she conceded. “Stacy shows up.”

“It’s Betty.” She corrected sarcastically.

“It was a joke. Stacey. Barbie’s kid sister. Jesus, that stick is really just wedged in there tight isn’t it?”

“Toni.” Jughead only said the one word, but it held weight. With a roll of her eyes Toni changed the subject to the recording Betty made.

“Unfortunately we started recording when they were in the middle of things. There are no names, no words, just grunts and moans so unless you got a picture to go with it, we have nothing.”

“Shit.” Toni pounded a fist on the table, “I got nothing. I got the back of a head. I’ll have to wait until they’re developed to know for sure, but I’m telling you I didn’t get shit. Fuck! We’ve been trying to catch this bitch in the act for weeks.”

Jughead slumped his back against the wall and let his feet sprawl out over the booth. The glowing sign out the window cast his face in equal parts red glare and moonlight. He was sort of beautiful. It made Betty’s breath catch in her throat. Betty shook the thought clear. It had simply been too long since she’d been on a date. Bad boys were not her type, and the serpent winding its way down the arm of his jacket clearly showed that he wasn’t exactly one of the clean cut good guys.

“Umm, she’s a pedophile, right?” Betty waited for them to nod, “That means she’s probably done this before. It’s a pattern. There was an escalation. We should go to the other schools she’s taught at and ask around. See who she’s been tutoring.”

“Do you think we’re fucking morons?” Toni snarked, “We’ve been to the schools, no one is talking. She barely exists in the system, but we can’t get any more information without a warrant or something else equally ridiculous for some high schoolers to ask about.”

“Have you broken into her car?” Betty asked. “I’m really good at that.”

“What do you mean tutoring?” Jughead swung his legs down so he could stare at her head on. “And don’t think we aren’t going to come back to the whole you breaking into cars thing.”

“At Riverdale, she had private tutoring lessons with several students.”

“Jackpot!” Toni bounced excitedly in her seat. “You get us names, we’ll tighten the screws and see what kind of information pops out. You know at least one of those rich boys was heartbroken when that pedo moved on to younger pastures. Who knows, maybe she even hit up a middle school or two.”

“Nasty.” Betty’s disgust was written all over her face, Toni laughed at it.

“Alright. We have a game plan.” Jughead nodded at the girls who nodded back. They headed out of the diner after packing up their things.

“Betty!” Jughead called after her, “Not a bad job for your first day. Not good, but not bad.”

He said it with a small sardonic smile. Her heart flipped. She had it back in place by the time he ducked into Toni’s car and they peeled out.


	2. Clandestine

The next week trudged by. She was allowed into the copy room, but only when both Toni and Jughead agreed that she could walk through the door. She had hoped their little intrigue would bring them closer, but she was still friendless at lunch while they roared with laughter over at a Serpent table. Even the cliques here were foreign to her. The lunchroom was clearly divided between gang lines, with only a few kids in between worlds. Those left on the outside were a lot like her; kids who didn’t get involved, or weren’t desirable enough to be picked by either side. They weren’t exactly clamoring for her company either, though. They politely smiled, but shook their heads when she tried to sit.

Jughead continued to be an absolute pest in class, challenging all the teachers over any small detail he took contention with. He seemed so miserable outside of that tiny grimy room they wrote in that she wondered if it was real, or just part of his image. Over the course of that week she spent more time studying his behaviors than the classes. It was hard to look away from him. He was clearly trading in something around the school. Not drugs, no it was something intangible. Something that he could pass with just his breath. Information. He seemed unbothered by everything around him, but it couldn’t have been easy holding on to such contraband. When your currency was secrets, who would put their trust in you? 

When she realized how utterly useless it was to watch Jughead move through the halls she turned her attention back to the task at hand, Grundy. Betty’s list of names to research was only two people long, but it could not have been more awkward if she’d tried. First, her favorite redhead best friend, turned boyfriend, turned ex boyfriend, turned back into friend. She really had known Archie for way too long. The second was the star of her sister’s not so great love story. Jason Blossom had dumped Polly not long after it was revealed that she had gotten pregnant on purpose to try and keep him committed to her. They shared joint custody, and a common hatred of each other’s families. There was no way she could get anywhere near that one. That name was handed straight over to Toni and Jughead to deal with.

It was late on a Friday night and Betty was playing the part of the third wheel to Archie and Veronica as they endlessly flirted. Veronica would hold up fries that Archie would playfully bite out of her hand. It would have been cuter if he wasn’t her ex and V wasn’t the best friend who broke girl code by hooking up with him within weeks of their disastrous end.

“Do you guys ever think about trying to find your A.N.S.S. partner?” It was a mood killer of a question.

“No.” Archie frowned heavily, “Why would I do that? Veronica and I are really happy. Right, babe?”

“Yeah.” Veronica crossed her arms, “That’s kind of a bitchy question.”

“You told me you didn’t even like the idea of bondmates.” Archie accused, “You said it was just an excuse to be lazy in a relationship and it was all nonsense anyway. Why would you even bring it up?” 

Betty looked to the napkin she was shredding in her hands, “My mom’s going to a Hand Convention.”

Archie could not have looked more confused, “A Hand Convention?”

Veronica took pity on him, “It’s where people get together and just walk around with their hands out as an invitation to touch. It’s supposed to be the best way to find your person because there are so many opportunities to make a connection. People fly in from all over the world, but the problem is the same people show up to all of them. Most conventions plant a few pairs in the crowd to ‘find’ each other so that they can claim their event was a success. It’s a stupid waste of time and money.”

Veronica laid a hand over Betty’s, “Your mom’s not handling the divorce very well, is she?”

Betty huffed lightly, “To put it mildly. The convention she’s going to is supposed to have 10,000 people attending. Even if she did touch every single person’s hand, there’s still only a 25% chance anyone there will bond, but she’s determined to never date again unless it’s ‘the one’. It’s like she’s lost her mind. She never used to believe in this crap. What happened to making relationships work, putting in the time and effort? She’s just given up.”

“Oh, honey,” Veronica moved to her side of the booth and pulled her into a hug. “Your mom will find love again and return to sanity soon enough. You too, for that matter. I know that being at Southside High is hard, but try not to date any of the cretins over there. You know what, I’m going to set you up on a date this week.”

Betty frantically waved her off, “Please, Ronnie, no. This is my mom’s issue, not mine. I have way too much to worry about without throwing my love life into it. And speaking of things to worry about, Archie, I have to talk to you about some stuff. Alone. Sorry, V, I have to kick you out for this one. It’s about an investigation for my paper. Nothing serious.” 

Veronica looked skeptical, but shrugged, “I have to go meet Josie for some Pussycat stuff anyway. Don’t have too much fun without me.”

As Veronica kissed Archie goodbye, Betty prepared herself mentally for the conversation she was about to have. Archie was throwing concerned glances her way as he waved his girlfriend out.

“Is this about us winning the basketball game against your team or something? Because I swear that we play fair. No steroids, no performance enhancing drugs of any kind. We’re just more organized is all.”

“I wish it was about basketball, Arch.” Archie had such a kind soul. She couldn’t remember the last time he really had an ill wish for anyone who didn’t go out of their way to deserve it. But it made him naive, let him see the good even if there wasn’t much in there.

“Ms. Grundy, our old music teacher, works at Southside now… and I think she’s having inappropriate relations with students.”

Archie fidgeted. A blush crept up his neck onto his cheeks from below his letterman jacket, “What kind of relations, I mean, what makes you think so?” 

“Well, for one she went into a locked classroom with a student and then there were… noises that came out. This isn’t a hunch, Arch. She's taking advantage of kids.”

He huffed, growing restless in his seat, “Maybe she wasn’t taking advantage, maybe it was mutual. Did you ever think of that? Maybe 18 is just an arbitrary number and people younger than that are capable of making informed decisions about who they want to be in relationships with!” he was shouting by the end.

The picture was clear to her, “Oh, Archie.”

“Don’t do that.” He snapped at her, “Don’t give me your pity. I knew what I was doing. I pursued her, okay? It wasn’t just sex, it was a relationship.”

She couldn’t help it, of course she felt some pity. Pity that he had been taken advantage of by someone he should have been able to trust. Pity that she had warped him so completely that he still couldn’t see it. Pity for all the victims that had come before and after him.

“I really, really don’t want to publish your name in this article, Arch. But it’s a pattern now. You were 15 when she was your teacher! That’s way too young for a 30 year old woman, whether you see it or not. So as much as I’d like to leave you out of this I won’t be able to unless you give me some information to go on.” 

He was livid, eyes wide, nostrils flaring, “You really think I’m going to help you have her arrested?”

Betty put her hands up in the classic, 'I Mean No Harm' gesture. “All I want to do is see if she really is sleeping with more underage boys. If she is, then it wasn’t about you, it was about having sex with children. Just tell me where she used to take you when you would do… stuff. If she’s not there, no harm no foul I’ll let this be. I promise.”

He slumped back, defeated. “I really did have feelings for her. And she had them for me.”

“She may have,” Betty agreed, “but that doesn’t make it right.”

Finally, reluctantly he said, “Sweetwater River. In her car. Mainly at night. Sometimes really early in the morning. Especially on weekends.”

“Thank you, Archie.”

“Yeah well,” he stood abruptly, “you’re not welcome.” He stormed out of the diner, throwing the door open with unnecessary force.

Betty pulled out her phone to shut off the recording she’d just made. Two weeks in and she was already hurting one set of friends to get closer to the other. She hoped it would be worth it. 

She didn’t even bother leaving the booth. Just texted Jughead to meet her at Pop’s. He blessedly arrived without Toni in tow. Something about that girl just set Betty on edge. She didn’t trust her not to run away with the information about Archie.

“Hey, Marcia. I’m curious does a ponytail that high and tight hurt your scalp?” he smirked as he took over the plate of fries Archie left behind.

“Marcia?”

“Brady Bunch? Marcia Marcia Marcia!”

“Does that make Toni Jan?”

Jughead laughed behind his hand, “You can make jokes? I like it. What’s the scoop? The Blossoms are a total bust. They aren’t speaking and that house might as well be Area 51. Who has a personal guard at the gate? I mean seriously. And not a rent-a-cop either. No, full military training guard.”

“Well luckily for us you don’t have to run a B and E, I caught a break. A source who wishes to remain anonymous told me where we might find our lurid temptress.”

“Anonymous?” The friendly tone for banter was gone. It was clear he still wasn’t anywhere near trusting her.

“You know what, either you want to follow up on this lead, or you don’t. I’ve had a ridiculously long day and I’m over it. You can either stay here and be your usual mopey emo self, or actually come investigate something. For your sake I’d choose the latter since it’s the only thing on Earth that seems to make you happy.” She stormed away from the booth.

She paused at the door, “Are you in or out?”

The car ride was silent. And awkward. She parked the car half a mile away from a trail that you could drive all the way down to the river. It was one of Archie’s special spots. He’d even brought Betty there a few times on dates. The thought made her skin crawl now. Together they moved as quietly as they dared in the dense trees down to the clearing. Sure enough, there was Grundy’s car and a warm fire. On the blanket laid over the forest floor a shockingly naked Grundy was astride a man. No, not a man, a child. It wasn’t even the same student Betty had seen the night before. No, this was some other kid she’d seen at school.

“Get ready.” Jughead whispered to her as he raised the camera to his eye.

“Ready for what?”

“I can’t get a good picture without flash. That means I have one, maybe two chances to get a good picture before they spot us and we have to make a run for it.”

“Awesome.” Betty replied sarcastically. She double checked that her shoe laces were tied, she took a few seconds of video on her phone just in case, and turned to run.

Jughead only managed to take one photo before the boy was darting in their direction. The adrenaline flowing through her veins clouded her rational judgment, so even though Betty knew he probably wouldn’t chase them far into the woods with how exposed he was to the elements she was still running as if her life depended on it. Jughead crashed through the trees just on her heels. Shouts echoed off tree bark as they moved swiftly in what Betty hoped was the direction of the car.

Her prediction was wrong. He was chasing them down, and it sounded like he was gaining speed. Jughead pointed left, she veered hard to follow his instructions. The light from her phone wasn’t just not helping her find her way, it was leading him straight to them. With no time to stash it away she tossed it into some leaves, praying that her GPS tracker could lead her back to it in the morning. Up ahead a clearing came into view under the full moon. Too late she realized it was the edge of a cliff.

In the span of one sharp inhale Jughead’s arm wrapped around her middle, stopping her momentum off the cliff and slingshotting her back towards a tree. She landed with so much force her breath was knocked clear from her lungs and she almost missed the burn searing a ring around her left arm. Jughead thumped down next to her, his hand covered her mouth to silence her ragged breathing once she could draw air again. Absolutely dazed she pulled the sleeve of her shirt up. In the moonlight they watched together as a dark black image began to take shape over her flesh. 

Jughead showed off the mirrored patch of skin on his right arm. The same shape appeared.

“No.” Betty whispered, “It’s not real.”

“What do you mean it’s not-”

“YOU HAVE TO FIND THEM!” Grundy’s shout might as well have been a rifle shot for how much dread it pumped into Betty’s system. Jughead pulled her body into his. She could feel it. Every nerve cell in her body responding to his, forcing her heart beat to match his, or his to hers. Something in the middle maybe. Something that made it not her heart, but theirs. Her fear response echoing in him, the flash of arousal from feeling his body heat pouring into her. They would share all of it. Forever.

“They’re gone! I can’t search the entire woods right now.” The boys voice faded back in the direction of Grundy’s car.

“They have pictures! I’ll be ruined! I’ll go to jail! Don’t you love me? Do you really want that to happen to me?”

The lovers continued to quarrel. Betty was too shocked by everything to think about moving until Jughead gently pushed her up to her feet. He grabbed her hand tight in his to lead them slowly, quietly back towards the car. Every time the fight paused, so would they. It took almost half an hour for them to reach the safety of Betty’s car.

“Holy shit. Holy shit. Holy. Shit.” Jughead was stuck on a loop, staring at his arm then hers as Betty drove. “I don’t even touch people. I don’t touch anyone. Holy shit.”

Betty realized she’d been driving on autopilot. She had no idea where Jughead lived. She’d just taken off in the direction of her own apartment. She took the next turnoff too sharply and parked the car haphazard off to the side.

“It doesn’t mean anything. It’s not real.” She said sternly.

“What the fuck is that supposed to mean?! You said that earlier. Denial doesn’t change anything. I can fucking feel you. I know that cardigan is too light for this kind of weather at night because you’re freezing, and I can God Damn Feel It. How is that not real? We are bonded ,you are my bondmate. Holy shit. I have a bondmate. Holy Shit.” 

“I’m not saying it didn’t happen,” her voice was breathy, as if she was going to hyperventilate at any moment. It certainly felt like she might. “I’m saying we’re not soulmates, or destined, or something. We just experienced A.N.S.S. Our nervous systems are linked. It’s scientific. It just means we had compatible hormone and cortisone levels. It’s a natural phenomenon that doesn’t mean anything.”

With the way he was looking at her she might have just grown several new heads, “You’ve got to be fucking with me. A tattoo just magically appeared on both of our arms. This means something.”

“It’s not magic. There’s no such thing as magic. I don’t believe in Hocus Pocus. This is a weird trait, totally explained by science.”

“Oh really?” he raised an eyebrow at her. He brought the marking close to her face. “What do you see?”

“What do you mean?” She glared determinedly out the windshield. 

“You know, when I read the stories and they said bonded pairs could see images in the black, I thought it was just shit they made up. But I can see it. I know what this is. It may look like a mass of black to everyone else, but I know exactly what this is. I know what it means. And yeah, you might be scared, but I know that you can see it too.” Jughead exited the car with a slam of his door.

A few silent tears rolled down Betty’s cheek. She rolled up her sleeve to stare at the dark symbol on her arm. The bottom of it was a flat line that circled the entire circumference of her arm with three semicircles swooping down. There were two inches of solid black, then a series of sharp peaks and more semicircles flowing upward. She knew that’s what everyone else would see. But to her, clear as day, a pink snake was winding around a warm gold crown. She put her head in her hands and wept.


	3. Chase

Alice Cooper had been very careful to make sure her girls got a certain impression of the Southside when growing up. It was a filthy desperate place. A place for people who made poor life choices. Or a place for people looking to make poor choices in otherwise good lives. It was a place beyond redemption, for those who were out of the reach of goodness. Forsaken. It was only natural that Betty could only see those things too. 

It seemed unnatural to her that Alice would allow herself to go back to such a place. She’d gasped aloud when her mother told her the location of their new ‘home’. Did Alice think of herself as long lost now? Or was she stubborn enough to think that if she’d been able to do the impossible once, that lightning would strike again and she’d be able to rise up out of the Southside once more? It seemed like losing a battle to Betty. Alice’s skills as a reporter were never going to be put to use with Hal owning the paper, and because of those skills no one in town would hire the person they saw as the town gossip.

Wondering what her mom would do when she found out that Betty was forever linked to the dark underbelly of Riverdale kept Betty up half the night. She was then promptly awoken way too early for a saturday by that very same mother. 

“Up and at ‘em! Polly has a job interview today and I have to go buy some things for my trip tomorrow, which puts you on twin duty.”

“She’s got an interview at 6:30 A.M. on a Saturday?”

“It’s at 7 and it’s for a night shift. She’s interviewing with someone at the end of their work day. It would let her work full time while not having to pay for babysitting.”

Betty rubbed at her eyes, “You mean I’ll be a babysitter while she sleeps.”

Alice eyed her curiously, “Why are you sleeping in long sleeves?”

Betty quickly glanced at her left arm. The sleeves had rolled up a bit in the night, but everything above her elbow was still covered. She stammered trying to think of an adequate lie.

Alice answered for herself, “Is it cold in this room? That old bastard. ‘No drafts at all’ he said, ‘like brand new’ he said. Nothing in here is brand new or anywhere close to it. I should write an expose. Southside Slumlords and the Dumbasses Who Rent From Them.”

“Calling yourself a dumbass now?”

“Self reflection is important for growth. Now, up! I’ll let you shower. Don’t take long, I know you girls aren’t used to only having one bathroom, but have some courtesy.”

Betty wondered if it was too late to beg her Dad one more time to let her stay with him. She turned the shower up to a scalding temp. Warm water washed away yesterday’s mistakes and all thoughts away with it. By the time she felt relaxed pounding at the door drove her calm away.

Twins could do terrible things to a person’s mental health. At a year and a half they could run, scream, and say a few words. They could not be reasoned with, controlled, or really disciplined. She just kinda had to sit back and let them run each other ragged while she watched. Polly didn’t offer gratitude or an apology when she got back. She just gracefully took over. For all her faults she was kind of a great Mom.

“I really think I got the job Betty! I’m going to be a warehouse manager which, I know isn’t glamorous, but it pays really well and I get to use my organizational skills. Plus I’ll be around to watch my kids grow up.”

Betty’s face was soft, “That’s awesome Polly.”

“Who knows, I may even be able to move out in a few months! Oh Betty, this could be really good for me.”

The harsh angry noise of the apartment door buzzing filled the room. Instantly Betty was sure it was Jughead. Had he felt her shower? Could she wake him up by getting ready for the day? What parts of her life filtered through to him if she could sense him warm and steady outside the building?

“I’m so glad to hear about the interview, Polly, but I’m meeting a friend today for breakfast. Do you mind if I…?” she pointed to the door but didn’t wait for an answer before waving and sprinting down the hall toward the entrance to the building. She arrived within seconds, only to find that Alice, back from her errand, got there first.

“We don’t want any.” Alice said abruptly with an eye roll while swinging the door shut.

“I’m here to talk to Betty about a story.” He called through the ever narrowing gap.

Alice peeked back, “What kind of a story?” The other thing about Alice, was that everyone knew the way to get to her, was by offering up news.

“The kind that makes it imperative for us to get evidence to the Sheriff’s office before some culprits get the hell out of dodge.”

“Well I’m not sure I like the sound of that.” Alice frowned. It was a ploy. She was about to insist she take over the story. Betty had to do something fast.

“Sorry, Mom. Eyewitness accounts only.” She squeezed past her mom out the door. She waved while putting distance between her and that door.

“What are you doing here?” She whispered through clenched teeth. “My mom can not know about this. Any of this.” Betty was wearing a long sleeve shirt with a bandage wrap underneath it just to be absolutely certain no one could see what was on her arm. She was taking her precautions. Why wasn’t he?

“Relax, I’m not here to woo you. I brought Toni. We developed the photos from last night. They’re pretty clear, Grundy’s face is legible. That plus your recording is more than enough, but we have to act fast before she skips town. We have to bring the evidence to Sheriff Keller and run the story the minute he moves on the arrest.”

“Did you tell her? About us?” Betty bit nervously at her thumb nail. Protecting their secret was still her main priority.

“No. You weren’t exactly subtle last night. It didn’t take much detective work for me to figure out you’d rather keep this a secret, and frankly that’s the way I’d like to play it too. Bonds are a major media ordeal. In a place like Riverdale? We’d be the talk of the town for generations. No thank you.” He was playing everything cool, like he was unaffected by her. By everything. But her heart beat was picking up, and the increase in tempo wasn’t coming from her side of the bond. Or at least she didn’t think so. She stamped out the urge to touch him just to see what it would feel like the second time.

She drew a deep breath, “Okay. Okay, you’re right. We need to get Grundy away from children as fast as possible. Shit! My phone! It’s still in the woods. I have the recording backed up, but not the video I took from last night.” How had she forgotten that they were in the middle of an investigation? She’d missed her phone, but everything with Grundy had completely slipped her mind. Grundy could have skipped town. Or worse, they could have found her phone and managed to figure out who it belonged to. Alice was listed as her emergency contact, and that information could be retrieved without unlocking the phone.

“OH MY GOD!” Toni called from the driver’s seat across the other side and out the open window, “Can we please get going? I’m supposed to still be asleep! It is a Saturday! If you are going to wake me up early at least have the decency to move quickly so that I can get home and take a fucking nap!”

Jughead gave her the finger but conceded, “Okay, okay. Jesus you are nasty when you’re sleepy. From now on I’m only taking Betty on the early missions.” 

“What, and leave me out of it? Hell no. I am not letting you take the whole damn byline, I’m just asking for a little efficiency.” She smirked.

Jealousy was a petty emotion that Betty refused to take part in . Still… what were these two to each other? Best friends? Confidantes? Something in between since Jughead hadn’t trusted her enough to tell her the truth? It wasn’t like she was chomping at the bit to let Veronica, Kev, or Archie know either. When they moved she knew there was a possibility she’d grow apart from her friends, but she thought it would be subtle and gradual enough for her to stop it from happening. The signs would be there and with a little effort the divide could be repaired. Now she was suddenly a chasm away from them. Band-aids could not bring this wound to a close if she didn’t start telling people soon.

And what the hell was she supposed to tell them anyway? She knew all the perceptions. A.N.S.S. pairs were supposed to get married the moment they could and get jobs in the same building so they could eat lunch together and gaze dreamily into each other’s eyes. Betty wasn’t ready to drift off into happily ever after. There was a wide world out there for her to explore and write about. What if she wanted to go to a different college than Jughead? She had already applied to and gotten early acceptance at 5 universities. She shouldn’t have to take the wants and needs of this odd boy into account when making her choice. Summers were long months that could be spent hitchhiking around South America or Japan. What if he was a homebody? 

No. Absolutely not. She would not let this tether her to a life she didn’t want. She was going to go where she wanted and do what she wanted. Jughead could follow her around or shove it up his ass for all she cared.

He looked almost scared of her by the time they parked, which was fair because she was seething at the lame version of him filling her head. It didn’t help that at one point when a particularly nasty flare up of envy at the ease between driver and passenger came forth unbidden Jughead smirked at her in the rearview mirror. 

Searching the forest floor for her phone was about as much fun as the ride had been. Her battery must have been long since dead, leaving only a cold hunk of plastic for them to search for. Slimy slugs trailed their way through the foliage she searched through.

“How do you know how to break into cars?” Jughead suddenly asked into the void.

“What?” Betty asked with her head still bowed to the ground.

“A few days ago, you said you were good at breaking into cars. How? Why?”

“You did say that!” Toni agreed, “Spill it. You get your ya-yas out by taking other people’s cars for joyrides?”

“Ya-yas?” Jughead questioned incredulously.

“I said what I said.”

“No, no.” Betty giggled, “I fix cars with my Dad. Or I used to. It was our daddy-daughter bonding thing. Back when he was still okay with acknowledging my existence. Turns out most women find it a turn off to date a guy with two kids and two grandkids. He’s hiding us.”

Toni snorted, “Sounds like a douche bag.”

“Lately? Yeah, kind of a douche bag.”

It was the main reason why she was staying with Alice and the demon twins. Hal was doing his best to poison the girls against their mother, while at the same time keeping them away from his new bachelor pad. He would present lavish gifts and outings and then slip in small offhand comments about how if Alice wasn’t so selfish they’d all still be the perfect family. 

“Please tell me this is yours.” Toni held up a dirt covered phone

“Yes! Oh thank you, Jesus. I never would have been allowed to get a new one.” She pulled her spare battery pack out to charge the phone immediately. Her screen buzzed with a dozen messages and phone calls. Most of them were from Archie.

From: Archie  
Please don't run the story. Even without the name everyone will know it was me. Please please please please don't 

We’ve been friends for years don' do this

Not even talking to me now?

Anything. I'll do anything

 

“What?” Jughead’s eyes were wide with concern.

“My source. He’s asking me not to write the article.”

Toni flipped her hair, “Too fucking bad. When a Grade A child molester is working in a job that gets them access to kids, you say something. Duh.”

“I know that!” Betty shot back, “It’s just, he doesn’t want people to know that he was part of it. Don’t we have at least some duty to protect the anonymity of her victims? Aren’t they owed that much?”

She turned pleading eyes to Jughead. He was undeterred. 

“We’re obviously going to publish without names. Whatever conclusions people draw after that, right or wrong, is up to them. It sucks that people are going to be able to guess who she was with, but stopping her is priority number one. Betty, while we are going to leave his name out of the paper, you should give it to Sheriff Keller.”

“No!” she was so frustrated, “If he doesn’t want to come forward that’s his choice.”

“And if he doesn’t want to talk, he won’t. What are you planning on telling Keller about how we knew to be at the river in the first place? That it’s ‘a source that wishes to remain anonymous’? Just like you told me?”

She knew it was a cheap shot to reach out and see if he could feel how conflicted she was, how remorseful, but she couldn’t stop herself. He clearly received the message and sent back a wave of calm conviction. She subconsciously scratched at her mark as he tried to soothe them both down.

“Yep, 100% with Jughead on this one.” Toni interjected, “Because, again, PEDOPHILE.” 

“If I do this, and it’s an IF, you two have to swear on your journalistic integrity that you will not repeat the name to anyone ever.”

They were finally back at the car. After Jughead closed his door Toni locked the car, refusing Betty entrance. 

“Seriously?” Betty asked with her eyebrows up high.

“Seriously.” Toni scowled at her. “Listen up, cause I’m only going to say this once. I don’t swear or take oaths. What would you seriously do to me if I broke it, huh? Nothing, is what. That shit is for children and fairy tales. But I am not a snitch, and I don’t reveal sources. Don’t ever, ever, bring my integrity or my honor into question ever again. Understood?”

With annoyance dripping out of her mouth Betty said, “Fine. Of course. What was I thinking not trusting the person I’ve known for a whole two weeks who hates me. I’m sorry I was so out of line.”

Toni scowled back, but unlocked the car anyway. The drive to the Sheriff’s station was a lot quieter, and far more dense with animosity. Jughead tried to get the conversation going several times, failing all the while.

Keller was understandably vexed at having three teenagers come into his office with copious evidence that a school teacher was a pedophile and the assurance that they would be publishing a story to that effect shortly.

“Can I at least have to the end of the day to get a warrant and get her into custody before you splash all of this across town?”

“About that,” Jughead coughed into his fist, “I’m pretty sure, actually I’m a thousand percent positive that she saw us take that photo and she may already be on the run.”

“God Damn it!” Keller slammed his hand down making them all jump, “This is why you come here first. We could already have her, but you just let her run in the wind.”

“I don’t think she’ll run, at least, not far.” Betty tried to mollify him, “She’s been in at least three towns leaving behind heartbroken teenage boys who aren’t the most reliable secret keepers. She might think we were just kids with a camera phone who might blackmail her at best. A weaker camera wouldn’t even be able to distinguish her face. She might have packed but I doubt she left.”

“Fine.” Keller scrubbed at his face with his hands, “Finding a judge at this time of day, on a Saturday none the less, to get a warrant is going to be a chore. You got anything else I can give them to help speed this along? You said there were other victims. Any that I can talk to? Someone I can add to the charges.”

“Yes.” Betty spoke up, “I have a recording.” 

Toni sat forward eagerly in her chair.

“But I need these two to leave before I play it for you.”

Toni rolled her eyes skyward, “Of course. Of fucking course.” she stormed off with Jughead quick on her heels.

“Not your biggest fan, is she? Betty, what are you doing running around with two gang bangers?”

“Right now? My job as an investigative journalist, that’s what I’m doing. The three of us are the entire staff of a newspaper. You know that I can’t stop until I hit the rock bottom of any story.”

“Not since you were about five and had to solve the mystery of your missing crayon,” Keller chuckled, “What did it turn out to be?”

Betty smiled back, “Mr’s Schroder’s dog ate it when we colored outside. Left a bright blue smelly clue for us to find in her yard.”

“Is that why Kevin has always hated her?”

“Yeah.” Betty’s smile soured as she prepped the recording. She could see from the Sheriff’s face that he knew the voice instantly. 

“Damn it, Archie.” The Sheriff’s exterior melted until he just looked like an old tired dad. 

“Call me when you’ve got her in custody. If I haven’t heard from you in two days, we’re running this story either way. People deserve to know.”

Betty left the room and walked right into a heated discussion between Jughead and Toni. She’d just assumed all the anxiety she was feeling had been hers. Jughead hushed himself the moment he saw her. He attempted to shush Toni too.

“Why are we being quiet?” Toni yelled, “What I said was, ‘I don’t like her’. It’s not a secret. It’s not like she doesn’t know it.”

“It’s true, I did know it.”

“See? The living doll agrees. You can say whatever you want, but I don’t like her. I’m not going to like her, and we do not need a third in the office.” Toni stormed off to her car.

“What was that about?”

“Oh, you know. She’s mad that you didn’t trust her right now even though she doesn’t trust you either. She’s mad at me for trusting you even though she doesn’t. And she’s also mad because I may have said that I do like you and I think you’re a good addition to the team. I just have to buy her a few milkshakes and she’ll get over it.”

“What about me? Will you buy me milkshakes too? Maybe she hurt my feelings.” It sounded flirty when she said it.

Somehow while talking their feet had pulled them closer together. They had drawn each other in to less than an arm’s length. He was within her personal space bubble now. She could just reach her arm out and lay a hand on his chest. If she really wanted to she could count their breaths and heartbeats. They were already sharing air. Why not pass it directly from her lips to his?

“This isn’t real.” She took a step back. She had to stay focused. She had to keep that in her mind every second he was around. She would not get sucked in by this. “This is just a feedback loop. My arousal transfers to you, you feel that, amplify it, then transfer it back. It’s a very well documented side effect of A.N.S.S. There’s no reason why we should act on this.”

Jughead stepped forward. There was a cold brick wall at her back, no place left to go, “What I just heard was you saying that the arousal started with you. How do you know that Cooper? Did you think about me before we touched? Because I thought about you.”

It didn’t matter if the cause was fake or not. Pure want flooded in her as Jughead moved slowly closer to her. He tangled one hand into the wisps of hair falling out of her ponytail at the base of her neck. The heat of just those fingers was overwhelming. She nearly moaned at the feel of him cupping her neck to bring her in closer.

Down the hall a drunk man being arrested started screaming obscenities. The spell was broken. She slipped sideways away from him. His eyes followed her wistfully. 

For all her yelling, Toni was dutifully waiting for them to get in the car. She even drove Betty home while making conversation with Jughead and avoiding acknowledging her very existence. She also sped away the moment Betty’s feet touched ground outside the car door. Just for the hell of it Betty gave her the middle finger before the car turned a corner out of sight. She wondered where they were going. Maybe to stake out the Sheriff’s office to watch and get photos of Grundy’s arrest. Maybe to touch up the story on Grundy they’d already written. A part of her longed to be with them despite Toni’s hostility.

As Betty stood outside the apartment building she realized that she didn’t want to go inside. This place wasn’t home. It was cramped chaos. The idea of it made panic well up fast in her chest. She carried herself to the library instead.


	4. Sharing Secrets

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for the Kudos and reviews everyone! As you know that's what keeps fanfic writers alive! Several people asked for a drawing of the mark and I tried, I really did, but I have no artistic ability. It looks sort of like a wonky mountain with curves and peaks up top with curves coming out the bottom too on their arms a few inches above their elbows. It's a full arm band that wraps completely around. Only they can see the detail of the crown and the snake. Does that help? Happy reading!

Despite whatever promises Betty had made to herself she couldn’t help but wander into the A.N.S.S. section. All of the definitive books on the subject had been written by Synced pairs. Every author space given two names. As if even their names couldn’t bear to be parted. It made her roll her eyes. She flipped through a few hoping to gain some insight into the people behind the stories and how they kept their individualities while sharing so much. There was nothing to be found. Everything was ‘we did this’ ‘we liked that’ ‘we hated it when’. 

Was this her fate, to forever be half of a whole? Useless onto her own self?

Checking out such material was potentially dangerous to her secrecy. Using her home laptop to search would have been even worse. Near the back of the library were individual computers in little cubbies, no doubt designed for students studying. They smelled musty, of that old kind of dinge only really found in libraries that were at least 50 years old. Betty was sure she looked suspicious, checking around her for peeping eyes before she entered the browser. She skipped over some of the more famous pairs. Bonnie and Clyde, a particular fan favorite. Helen of Troy and Paris, her bonded who stole her away from her husband king creating the legendary battle. That one was of course all myth and hearsay. It had been argued that they were the first who ever bonded, though records dating back millenia prove that wrong. There were depictions of the arm band markings on cave walls in indigenous cultures worldwide. Most, Betty included, believed it was as old as humans themselves.

She also skipped past the common stats. Less than 1% divorce rate. High fertility rates, even in people who had been unable to conceive with other partners. Less disease. Higher income. More successful children. Almost always in the same profession or complementary ones. Fame. 

It was the last part that worried Betty the most. Sure, maybe she wanted to be known some day, but not for this. Not for some odd biological function. She wanted to be known for accomplishing something. For being someone. That lead her to Marie Curie. Pierre and Marie Curie were a very curious case. They hid their bond for many years, long after she’d been accepted as a legitimate physicist. The moment the truth came out there was an uproar. People said she should have given all the credit for her work to her husband. That she shouldn’t have been given her Nobel Prizes since she’d clearly relied heavily on him for them, even the one she was given after his death. Pierre remained steadfast in his refusal saying she’d been just as much a part of the research as he had been, if not more so. Sharing sensation was not the same as sharing momentary thought. 

It was this pair that ignited the controversy on what soulmates were or were not capable of. Marie was also legendary for living long after her bonded died. A feat at the time thought impossible.

This was it. Betty didn’t have to be some simpering Bonnie dying by Clyde’s side in a hail of gunfire. She didn’t have to hang her hope on being famous just for this. She could be a Marie. A strong intelligent woman who would be acknowledged for her own work. Jughead would just have to follow in her footsteps, because she wasn’t about to be led.

What she did need, was a confidante. 

+++++++++++++++++

“Oh my God, Betty! I have so much to tell you!” Kevin pulled her into a quick hug in his foyer. Betty loved the Keller house. It was lacking a woman’s touch, but it always smelled welcoming. Not like food, but love. Most of their friends couldn’t stand being there, afraid they’d be arrested for doing anything, but Betty could have stayed for weeks.

“Did you hear they arrested Ms. Grundy? It happened like half an hour ago. I don’t know how they did it, but some Southside newspaper got her mugshot already and a shot of her being hauled inside in cuffs. Do you think that she and Archie… you know? I totally think they did. Archie had way too much experience for a guy who was unfuckable three years ago. I bet she offered to show him around, if you know what I mean.” He waggled his eyebrows, clearly hoping for a giggle. When she didn’t give him one, his look of light amusement faded to worry.

“What is it? Are you pregnant?” He sat down across from her at the tiny kitchen table.

“I’ve only been at Southside for two weeks, Kev. Even if I had sex with someone on day one, eww, I wouldn’t even know yet.”

“Oh God. Please tell me it isn’t cancer. Is it cancer?” He took her hand in his to comfort her.

She offered up a small smile, “No, I’m not terminal, there’s nothing really wrong with me. It’s just…”

She rolled up her sleeve past her elbow for him to take in the image. He gasped in delight and held back a squeal. He was dancing in his seat as he looked it over, even going so far as to feel the patch of skin. It felt wrong when he did that, like hitting her funny bone, a pinched nerve of energy.

“Who is he? Is he cute? When can I meet the mysterious gentleman who has stolen our young Betty’s heart? V and I are going to have a blast planning this wedding since we have like half a decade to do it.”

“That’s what I’m here to talk to you about. I don’t want anyone to know. Not now, maybe never. In order for that to happen, I think I’m going to need some help.”

He looked skeptical, “If you don’t want anyone to know, I’d think step one would be to not tell anyone. Seems pretty simple, really.”

“I definitely thought about that, which is why I’m not telling you who it is. I just might need someone to cover for me. Say we’re in the diner and it’s freezing but I’m complaining about how hot it is. Your job is to shut me up. Or if he gets hurt and I say ‘ow’ or something-”

“It’s my job to pretend to cut you or distract the others. Now, you know that I absolutely adore having information that no one else has and I’m excellent at keeping secrets, but why are you telling me instead of V or Archie?”

Betty sighed, slumping back in her chair, “Because telling one of them is just like telling both of them right now. V, as much as I love her, has a tendency to decide what’s best for people and take action on their behalf. She does what she thinks is right, despite what the other parties involved want. Archie… Archie has a good heart, it’s in the right place, but when he fights he says things that he shouldn’t. Later he’ll say that he didn’t mean it, but he always does. I can’t have him using this against me, I just can’t.”

“Yeah,” Kevin nodded seriously, “I get that.” He wrapped one arm around Betty so that she could lay her head on his shoulder. It was more comforting than she could say.

“One picture. Please? Just one.”

Betty giggled and swatted at him. “No! I don’t even have a picture of him.”

“You don’t have a picture of him? Is he like super old or something?”

“No, oh my God. He’s our age.”

“Is he good looking? Just tell me this, more James Dean or Clark Gable? Ken Doll?”

“Kind of young Tony Curtis wrapped in a James Dean attitude. He’s actually really cute.”

“If he’s so cute, why are you at my kitchen table and not getting all up on that?”

“Because I want more than just that for my life.”

He still looked beyond confused.

“You know what, just don’t worry about it and fill me in on all this juicy gossip. Or I can help you with some gossip. I was actually the person who caught Grundy down by the river with her current conquest.”

“Shut up! No you weren’t! Nancy Drew strikes again. Spill everything.”

+++++++++++

Come Monday Betty felt like a whole new girl. Sure Archie wasn’t talking to her and V wasn’t talking to him for not talking to her, but it had been a blissfully peaceful weekend from then out. The newspaper was all over the halls, even actual print copies were in people’s hands. If only she’d been included as one of the writers.

No one noticed that her entire life had shifted. It was high school, everyone was far too busy worrying about themselves to question why she was wearing long sleeves into her stifling classes. She just had to swelter it out and maintain hydration. It wasn’t as if anyone knew her well enough to call her out on it.

Except of course for Toni, who noticed and commented right away. “Your face is beet fucking red. Jesus. Did no one think to tell you how temperatures work? Hot weather, wear less clothes, trap less heat.”

It was her greeting to the office after the weekend away. Jughead was pretending to ignore them, but that sly smirk said he was hearing every damn word. 

“Riverdale High is always freezing this time of year because of all the AC. How was I supposed to know this school was a sweat lodge? I didn’t bring a change of clothes so this is what I’m stuck in until I go home.” All very reasonable, except it would make it even more obvious when she was wearing long sleeves again the next day. 

“Why aren’t you giving Jughead crap for wearing long sleeves too?” she cursed herself for painting him into the corner with her.

“Because that’s what he always wears. It’s seven layers of clothing or a wifebeater. He has no in between.”

“… and since the school frowns upon its students showing off their shoulders for whatever god forsaken reason, I have to go with the layers.” He smiled directly at her. The seconds on the clock suddenly ticked by slower.

Toni groaned at her phone, “Crap, I have to go make up a test in English. If you two decide on a story to pursue when I’m gone you better fill me in on every fucking detail. I mean it.” She slammed the door shut on her way out.

Jughead gave her a curious look with his head tilted slightly to the side. She was still standing near the doorway, not having moved since she came in the room. Jughead took a step forward. She shuffled half a step back. So it continued until she bumped into a table and was forced to half sit on it or fall over.

She’d ignored him all weekend. Every fleeting feeling that poured out of him and across the void to her was pushed violently aside. All she’d allowed were quick glimpses. Annoyance. Exhaustion. Hunger. He was always hungry. It was a deep visceral kind of hunger that made her wonder if his family had to go without food from time to time. It was consuming. Almost as much as the lust. That too had come and gone in flashes, far more intensely than the aching hunger. Those moments were the ones that ate at her resolve. She could call him. He’d come over. They could slip easily between her sheets. Between her legs.

The echoes of those pangs of carnal lust had lead her into the delusion that what she’d felt in the station was less than what she’d remembered. That it would be easy to resist. Being so close to him again shattered all of those illusions. The only part of him touching her were quiet fingertips sliding along the skin of her arm, dipping beneath her sleeve to finger at her mark. She bit her lip to keep back a moan.

“Why are you so afraid of this, Betty Cooper? Why would it be so bad to just give in?”

That lifted her out of the fog just enough to breath crisp air, “Because I want to be the only author on the byline of my story. I don’t want it to be written by anyone else. Not even you.”

He stepped in closer. His hips were now just brushing her thighs. If she wanted to she could close them, just an inch. She could trap him. Lure him in deeper.

Jughead leaned just a fraction closer, “It would be dangerous, you know, to date me. I’m somewhat Southside royalty. Everyone is trying to figure out how to get to me. If they find out about you they’ll know how weak I am. How to dig under my skin. But I just can’t seem to stop myself.”

It was unreal. She was panting at the very suggestion of being his. Of letting him take her. She wanted, oh how she wanted him to just take her wherever he wanted her to go.

“We can’t ever let them know the truth,” He was leaning in close now, his lips closing the space to her neck. It was the first place he would ever kiss her. It was a light touch, it barely qualified as a kiss at all, but it set her aflame. There was no stopping the moan that came out. He groaned in response, tilting her head to take the other side of neck into a firmer proper kiss. They were panting together, lost to the back and forth of their combined waves of need.

“You know- mmmm yes - you know how we could convince everyone we’re not A.N.S.S.?” Betty forced herself to speak between shuddering breaths. He shook his head against her skin, “We should date, then break up.”

He pulled his entire body away, she whimpered for its return. The sound shamed her, but she didn’t care. She needed it back.

“Explain.”

His eyes never left her lips as she talked, a good sign that he would come back to them soon, “Every time an odd couple got together at my school everyone would wonder if they had bonded. If they broke up, no matter how many times they got back together everyone would say they must not have had marks.”

“That actually makes perfect sense. God you’re observant. And smart. And so fucking sexy.” He crashed his mouth into hers. It was rough in the most exquisite way. She felt taken. Like a prize being claimed by a warrior after a battle, something she knew she should have scoffed at, but felt good deep inside. All control was gone. One touch of his hand to her legs and she was lifting them up high to lock at his back and bring his cock as close to her as possible while keeping their clothes on. She writhed against the warm pressure.

“No, wait. Fuck, we have to stop.” Jughead extricated himself from her grasp. He had to untangle her arms and legs from him because she seemed incapable of doing it herself.

“Why?”

“Because we are not doing this for the first time at school in this office.” He paced around the room taking deep breaths while adjusting his crown and pants. “If we’re going to do dating your way, we can do sex mine. We’ll get together when you say, how you say. When you want to break up, we will. If you want to go to a West Coast school and you want me to stay and do East Coast that’s fine. The only thing that I’m going to ask is that you never ever fuck anyone but me. Those are my terms.”

“Never.” She agreed, “I’m not sure I even could. You’d really do that for me? You’d be okay with us being thousands of miles apart?”

“Yeah.” This time when he moved to her it wasn’t about passion. It was tenderness, “Haven’t you figured it out yet? I’m yours, Betts. I’m at your whim.”

“I don’t want someone at my whim.” She protested. 

He lifted her hand to kiss her knuckle, “Then you shouldn’t have been so perfect.” 

There was that word. God how she loathed that word. The bell rang, letting them know study hall had ended. Jughead made for the door with a wink and a wave.

“I’m not, you know.” She called after him.

“Not what?”

“Perfect.”

“Sure, Betts. Whatever you say.”


	5. Parties

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is where I apologize for the very out of character Toni. I love her character on the show and I will eventually explain why she's so antagonistic in this story. Enjoy!

When they caught eyes in the lunchroom the next day she about burned under her blush. There he was at his usual table, but instead of bantering his eyes remained locked on hers. A cat watching its prey walk idly by. She heard Toni loudly exclaim, “Oh come on!” before Jughead came her way.

“What are you doing?” She asked as he fell into step beside her.

“Whatever do you mean?” his smirk said he knew exactly what she was talking about so she didn’t bother to answer. “I just wanted to let you know that you may be hearing some rumors about me later.”

They found a table that had just been emptied. Betty had to clear away trash to make enough room for them to sit down.

“What kind of rumors?” She bit into her apple. It was just as awful as she feared it would be.

“Rumor has it that I called dibs on the new girl.”

“Dibs? You called dibs on me? Gross.”

“Yeah, it’s pretty antiquated, but it also means that no Serpents will come your way. You’ve been claimed and that means something to us.”

She pushed food around on her tray, “Have you ever claimed anyone before?” she chanced a look at his eyes. They shone with suppressed laughter.

“Why Betty Cooper, are you jealous? As a matter of fact, I have not. In fact you are only the third girl I’ve ever kissed in my life, only the second one I can remember. My first kiss was when I was three. It was so traumatic I’ve blocked the whole memory.”

“Then won’t they find it a little suspicious that the boy who will press himself against lockers to avoid touching people in the hall would call dibs?”

“You know, Sweet Pea did say something to that effect. I said that your skirt was doing its best to change my mind about touching.” She glared him down, “It seemed like a very normal teenage boy thing to say at the time, to throw him off the scent.”

Jughead looked at least somewhat contrite, “I also figure that if I do something like this…” he trailed his fingers across hers to steal a fry, “they’ll see no obvious reaction which only plays into the idea that we are not bonded.”

“It’s good thinking. We have to find a believable way to start dating. This seems normal. I think.”

“It is,” Jughead said, “and you should probably give me your number, just in case.”

“Fine, but if anyone asks I’m telling them I only gave you my number so that we can get in contact for stories.”

“Fair. But by the way, since we are bonded,” Jughead leaned close to her ear, “I know exactly how much you just liked the way I touched you. See you in health.”

The jerk had the audacity to wink at her on his way out. She had the lack of control to stop a blush. He left her sitting there flustered and less annoyed than she wanted to be.

+++++++++++++++++

“Well, well, well. Betty Cooper.” Toni slammed her books onto the desk next to Betty’s. “Mind if I sit here? Thanks.”

She just sat there, blatantly staring at Betty with her head resting on her hand. “I really thought you’d be different.”

“What do you mean?” Betty opened her books as if the conversation wasn’t affecting her at all.

“I just thought Jughead’s type was more… goth. More E. Poe, less T. Swift. If he even had a type. I was kind of betting on asexual myself.”

“I’m not-we’re not. It’s not a… Jughead just wanted my number to talk about the paper.”

“Uh-huh.” Toni was not buying the bullshit, “You know we’ve kissed a few times. Jughead and I, but only when he was a little drunk. It’s the only time he ever touched anyone, really. I guess he must have decided that he would chance it.”

“Chance what?”

“Having a soulmate he didn’t want.”

Betty’s blood pressure dropped, “People with A.N.S.S. are not soulmates, that’s fake. The whole thing is stupid anyway, there’s nothing to covet or be afraid of, it’s… neutral. It’s nothing, just a weird medical thing.”

“And here I thought I had you pegged as the type of girl who dreamed of a big fancy wedding walking down the aisle with your mark proudly on display.”

“I’m not a child. I know that people can be happy without marks. Or at least I hope they can. I don’t really have a whole lot of real life examples to work with. Not a whole lot of intact marriages to choose from.”

“In that case, I definitely think you should hold out for The One. Take all the time you need. I hear India has a lot of people, start there!” Toni clapped a hand on her arm in fake support.

“It really bothers you that he likes me, doesn’t it?”

“I’m sure I have no idea what the fuck you are talking about, but if I catch the two of you making out in my work room I’ll take pictures and sell them.”

Betty wrinkled her nose, “To whom?”

“Shhhh, class is starting.”

Jughead, who was sitting two rows behind them, was overflowing with amusement at their exchange.

 

The three of them were shortly reunited in the Red and Black offices. The atmosphere was stifling, and not just because of the heat. Toni was clearly upset with Jughead, but not acknowledging it. She looked at Betty like a sideshow curiosity freak. Betty and Jughead had their weird inexplicable chemistry simmering just beneath the surface, not acknowledged but palpable. Betty idly wondered if Toni could feel it coming off of them.

At least she had found a lacy 3/4 sleeve shirt to wear. It gave the impression of transparency, but had a thin layer that was hiding the bad makeup job covering her mark. Pouring foundation over it felt like choking. It robbed her of air. It muted the connection like listening to speech underwater. At first it hadn’t been so bad, she thought she’d get used to it. Instead it grew worse and worse, like ringing in her ears before she could empty them of water after being in a pool too long. 

“This is useless!” Toni tilted her whole body back in her chair. “Nothing exciting happens in this town. We caught the only real criminal in a hundred mile radius. We’re doomed to be bored forever.”

“Are we just going to ignore the rampant drug problem in this town?” Betty asked.

Toni shrugged, “It’s only weed. We drove all the Jingle Jangle out after the Ghoulies started bringing that shit in. Now it’s just loud which is barely a drug and will be legalized any day now. If you get caught with it you get a fine. You want to publish a list of every kid here who smokes up? It will be a list of every person at the school except you two and that weird kid in my third hour who doesn’t talk to anybody.”

“What about the meth heads?”

Jughead sighed, “The punishment for being a meth head is that you’re on meth. Most of them make it themselves. It’s not like heroine which has to be grown somewhere, refined, and imported.”

“Which just leaves us the school’s lackluster sports department and even less spectacular speech and debate teams.” Betty concluded.

“We have a debate team?” Toni asked.

“My point exactly.”

They eventually settled on a human interest piece about charity work in the community. A former inmate started a dog rescue that worked with and rehabilitated ex-cons. It’s wasn’t something new, but people enjoyed reading about it and it would sell papers. They spent a few hours toiling away in that room. Betty itched to clean it, but when she straightened anything Toni snapped at her like an angry dog. They eventually called it a night.

“Hey, Betts.” Jughead called as they were packing up. “There’s a party tonight. Out by the tracks. 10 o’clock. Feel like seeing how the other half lives?”

She didn’t. “Sure. Sounds like fun.”

“Who are you?” Toni demanded of Jughead, but she shook her head and left before he could answer.

Jughead texted her an address, “That’s my place. We’ll go together, if that’s cool with you. I’d also be okay with some pre-party making out. Here or at the house, your choice.” 

He smirked as she swatted his arm. “You’re just hoping you’ll get to see me naked someday soon.”

“There’s no ‘just’ about it. This is a major pressing issue in my life right now. Seeing you wearing nothing but that mark? It’s become a life goal. You wouldn’t leave me to die with an item still on my bucket list, would you?”

She paused, pretending to think it over, “Yeah, I think that’s going to have to stay on your list tonight. Maybe forever.”

“Forever? Really?” 

She made sure to sway her hips as she left, “See you later, Juggie.”

+++++++++

She’d chosen her maroon dress carefully. It was tight, but not revealing. It went down to her elbows, far enough to cover her mark but still short enough to stop any crazy rumors. It was sophisticated, but not fancy. She paired it with comfortable flats and waved goodbye to Polly.

She felt bad for turning down Veronica’s offer of a girl’s night out. She was heading out with the Pussycats and Cheryl, it sounded right up Betty’s alley and more fun than sticking out like a sore thumb at a Serpent party. As much as she would love to be out dancing her cares away, she had to put in time establishing a credible relationship with Jughead. The fact that she told Cheryl she’d be sitting at home with the twins, and told her Mom over the phone she’d be out with Veronica made her feel even worse.

The convention her mom was at was just wrapping up, meaning her mom would arrive home while Betty was at the party. Alice gushed about all the stories she had for the girls when she got back. How ‘illuminating’ the panels had been. How amazing it had been to see two people bond before her very eyes. Alice Cooper was a changed woman who believed in love again, and she was going to tell Betty all about it. Betty was going to avoid that conversation for as long as humanly possible.

Her old Toyota Corolla rumbled to a stop in front of Jughead’s house. It was nicer than she thought it’d be. Far nicer than what she was living in. He was a member of the Serpents, there was no questioning, which meant his family probably was too. To live in a place like that they must’ve been doing something very illegal very well. Jughead was bounding out to meet her before she even got her car door open. In the doorway was the outline of what must have been his father. He was handsome, though not in the same way Jughead was. He was gruffer, rough around the edges and everywhere else. She waved politely at him.

“How are we going to play this?” Jughead asked as he fiddled with his phone and the aux jack.

“You mean your music? It looks like you already know how to hook it up.”

“God you’re adorable. No, I mean how are we going to interact at this party. Are we going to flirt with each other all night? Avoid each other for the first half then meet up and start talking? Run up the stairs to the first bedroom and ravish each other the moment we get to the house?”

She ignored all of that, “Wait, I thought you said we were going to a party on the tracks? I thought we were going to be outside all night.”

“There’s an old train depot that was converted into a house owned by a Snake. He throws a couple of parties every year. This year his eldest son is in our grade. He invited Toni, who invited me, who invited you. Don’t worry about that though, it’s a more the merrier type of situation as long as no one snitches.”

“… I’m going to be way overdressed, aren’t I?”

“So overdressed.” He smiled at her. It eased the burn.

And overdressed she was. She may have been the only person in the room who wasn’t wearing jeans. She was definitely the only natural blonde in the room. That, plus the ponytail, weren’t working to help her keep a low profile. These types of parties had never been her thing. The only other ones she’d been to were at Cheryl’s house and were basically mandatory if you didn’t want Vixens coming after you all year. This was louder, full of raucous yelling and keg stands. There was yelling and the dull sound of flesh on flesh as punches were thrown in the backyard. 

The house itself was barely lit only with candles scattered around. There was tacky decor covering cracked walls with paint peeling off. The carpet squished down from spilled beer. The whole thing was just dirty.

Completely overwhelmed she grabbed onto the first alcohol she could find, a beer bottle, and downed it. This was swiftly followed by two shots.

Jughead took a third shot out of her hand and downed it himself, “Slow down, what’s the rush?”

The alcohol hadn’t kicked in yet, so she just let her nerves run wild for a second so that he could partake in that misery with her. “Make sure you avoid touching.” She whispered to him.

“What? Why?”

“Because you can’t go from always avoiding people to touching everyone. They’ll know.”

Jughead linked his fingers with hers to pull her into the living room. He set her up against a wall next to the doorway. “I thought you meant don’t touch you, I avoid it automatically with everybody else anyway. Plus I’ve brushed into most of the people here. Hard not to when you basically grow up together.” 

Jughead looked around the room at the chaos, “You know what, I think it’s best if we don’t flirt, but don’t lose each other either. Since you’ve decided to be a lush tonight.”

“Who says that? I mean who even uses the phrase lush anymore?” She was able to snag a Jello shot away from a boy who was carrying a stack of them to the next room.

“Someone who thrives on the silver age of cinema. There are a few movies I have to show you before I can really know if we’re compatible.”

“Why don’t you try me and see if I already know them? I’m a bit of a black and white girl myself.”

Jughead placed his hand against the wall near her head, blocking her in, “How about we start easy? Maybe with some musicals? My Fair Lady and Dancing in the Rain?”

“Are you trying to tell me you find my voice annoying, because I think that’s the real link between those two.” She finished the slippery Jello with a wink. 

“Not at all, maybe I just want to make sure that if I start singing about the street that you live on you’ll understand my reference.”

“Are you also planning on standing outside my window a la Say Anything.” She giggled. The booze was just hitting her system. She was feeling warm, a little loose. The connection between them was dulled enough for her to feel like she was wearing her own skin. She felt really good.

“What is the modern equivalent of a boom box? A wireless speaker blasting Blink-182 from my phone?”

Betty giggled again, her head tilted down. She looked up at Juggie through her lashes.

He hummed, “Now, if I didn’t know any better I’d say we were flirting right now, but I thought we already decided that was a bad idea? At least until later in the night.”

“Oops?” She whispered. He was close enough that she could rub her nose against his chin by barely moving. He brought his hand up to cup her throat. With his thumb he tilted her head up. His eyes focused on her lips.

He moved just a hair’s breadth closer to her mouth, “There was a reason, wasn’t there? Something important that I’m forgetting.”

“We have trouble keeping in control around each other. We have issues stopping. Is that it?”

“Maybe.” 

He kissed her anyway. It wasn’t like it had been in the office. It was a slower ignition in her belly. The warmth of the alcohol being overtaken by a different burn spreading under her skin. Mounting an assault across her nerve endings to connect through the air to him. Her hands stayed at his waist, her only connection to him beyond their lips and his hand still clutching at her throat. His thumb trailed across the pulse of her neck. It sparkled like champagne in her blood.

“Well, well, well. What do we have here?” It was a voice Betty didn’t recognize. He probably wasn’t even talking to them, but Jughead broke away from her.

“Dad! I thought you said you were staying home tonight?”

That broke her out of her haze real quick. She spun to face the man. He and Jughead were dressed much alike, layers of shirts under a Serpent Jacket. Close up she could see he had Jughead’s coloring, dark hair and eyes. His face bore days of untrimmed scuff and a shit eating grin. Next to him was a gruff man in a police uniform.

“Tall Boy? Since when are you on the force?” Jughead asked incredulously. He got a grin in response.

“Since now. I heard your old man wasn’t coming to the party, had to drag him down here in the cruiser. Couldn’t have him missing out. Especially when I heard you were coming down with a Northside girl.”

“Hello, I’m Betty Cooper.” Betty stuck out her hand to Jughead’s dad for a shake. Like Father like son, he stared at her hand but did not take it. 

“I am sincerely glad to meet you Betty. My apologies for not shaking hands.”

“Oh, no! Not at all. It would be super awkward to bond with the girl your son was just making out with.” She intensely regretted the words as soon as they were out. Jughead looked embarrassed for her, but his Dad’s grin just grew.

“You wouldn’t happen to be one of Alice’s girls would you?”

She looked between the men, “Uh, yeah. Yes I am.”

“I thought so. That sounded a lot like her. No offense meant.”

“None taken.” There was a momentary lapse of sound between where Betty became aware of the party again. Aware of how many people may have seen everything that just happened. 

“Betty, mind if I steal the kid for a minute?”

“Not at all!” she was thankful to get away, she turned to Jughead, “I’ll just go find Toni. Mr. Jones it was so nice to meet you. And you, Tall Boy.”

“Pleasure was all mine.” That smile followed her out of the room. 

She could just overhear him say to Jughead, “So your type is Uptown Girls, huh?

She found Toni inside a cloud of marijuana smoke in the basement. There were around twenty people milling about, most sitting in a circle of couches and chairs with people filling the gaps between by sitting on the floor. A red and orange glass bong was being passed around as the conversation flowed. On the couch an older Serpent played the guitar. Toni may not have liked Betty, but in a room full of strangers Betty still chose the devil she knew over the ones she didn’t. She took a seat on the floor near her frenemy.

Just after she sat, a boy whose face looked much younger than the rest of him also took a seat way too close for comfort. The smile plastered on his face felt predatory, “Hey new girl. I don’t think I’ve seen you around before. Need any help getting to know people?”

Toni said, “It’s cool, Sweet Pea, Jughead and I have an eye on her. Isn’t that right Betts?” 

“Right.” She said with a nod that was more decisive than her tone.

“Holy shit, you’re the blonde Jughead laid claim to?” Sweet Pea laughed like it was the funniest thing he’d ever heard. Twitters joined from all around the circle until it was a mass of rolling laughter that made Betty’s stomach drop. Was it that ridiculous that Jughead might like her?

“I thought he was gay.” Fang said with a shrug.

“My money was on asexual.” Sweet Pea said.

“You know he’s had sex before right?” Toni said before taking the bong and pouring an impressive amount of smoke into her lungs with ease.

“Yeah, with you. It doesn’t count. That one was like a tester to see what he really wanted.” Sweet Pea goaded her.

Toni passed the drugs to Betty. She took the glass and lighter unthinking, then just held them. “Umm, I don’t-”

Toni coughed and laughed as she exhaled, “This isn’t a very special episode of Full House, Michelle. Peer pressure isn’t a real thing. If you don’t want to partake just pass it along.” 

Betty did and the laughing started up again. Coopers were trained to blend in with their surroundings. To know all of the proper etiquette and rules for every situation. Apparently her mother never thought it was important to teach them how to get along in the underbellies of society, even though she’d thrived in them herself. A tingle of sweet calm rushed over her emanating out from her arm band. She hadn’t known that anxiety from social awkwardness could be transferred through. Betty stayed in the circle long enough so that the conversation changed and it wasn’t completely apparent that she was leaving because she was just that uncomfortable. Hardly anyone even glanced up as she left.

At first she thought she’d find a quiet bathroom to sit in for a moment, but what she’d found were three people cooking some drug on a spoon and needles. Backing away she felt drunk again, or still. It had been so fun, just minutes ago feeling light and carefree. Now the alcohol was heavy, weighing her down, clouding everything when she wanted to be clear. She suddenly wanted desperately to be out with Veronica, the best friend she’d been avoiding. Why had she chosen Kev over Ronnie as her secret keeper again? Couldn’t they both know?

She managed to make her way out the back door. The night air was crisp, tangy the way the end of summer always was. It did wonders to improve her state of mind. Even as revelling continued around her she felt a thousand times better.

“Isn’t there a song somewhere about a balcony and summer air?”

Standing in the doorway Jughead straddled the two worlds perfectly. This serpent uproar was a second skin to him, even as she could feel his apprehension at the size of the crowd. Somehow a din of drug dealers, thieves, and gang bangers were a community that took care of each other. It was a kind of shelter she would never know.

“See, now I’m really starting to think you do listen to Taylor Swift. Methinks the boy doth protest too readily.”

It had been a week. One week and his voice was a safety blanket. A false sense of security, but a powerful one. She was lulled by that sardonic smile. Suddenly her drunk felt like tipsy again, warm happy butterflies invaded her common sense. 

“You caught me, Copper. I shake it off everyday.”

Light giggles bubbled up out of her. Her phone vibrated in her pocket, begging for her attention.

The message was short, and utterly panic inducing.

Jason Blossom:  
Come to the house NOW! 911 EMERGENCY.


	6. More Than Talking

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Be warned, Smut Ahead!

“You actually are a much better driver when stoned.” Betty said incredulously to Toni who just smirked in response. Betty was too drunk to drive herself to the Thornhill estate and Toni refused to give her keys to Jughead which meant the entire Black and Red staff was riding at breakneck speeds. Despite the speedometer nearly breaking, Toni’s driving was fluid and calm.

Betty could not get her heart under control. Jason had the twins for the night. They could be dead, or injured, or kidnapped by the psycho family matriarch. The guard at the bottom of the winding driveway had the gate wide open for them to go screaming up to the house. Betty was out the door and running across the pavement before Toni had unbuckled her seat belt. Jason, Cheryl, their mother and grandmother were all on the driveway dressed to the nines even in their night clothes.

“Spending the night at home studying. Wasn’t that what you told me Betty? What were you studying? Distilleries and Snake whoring?” Cheryl sneered.

Betty ignored her, “Jason, what’s going on? Are the twins okay?”

“The twins are sleeping.” She could hear how annoyed he was with her already, “I called you thinking you could be trusted to do your job and keep this information discreet, and here you are with two people already as witnesses. It’s clumsy, Betty. I thought better of you.” He started stalking away from her toward the barn.

“What the hell, Jason? All you texted me was “911 emergency”. Excuse me if I didn’t know the exact details of how to behave from that alone. What am I even doing here?” She was still overdressed and the adrenaline crash was making her feel queasy.

“Are you coming or not?”

She shot a quick glance and a shake of her head to Toni and Jughead who were just standing next to the car looking as confused as she felt. She followed Jason’s long strides to the barn. He told her to brace herself then threw the heavy door open. She was hit first by the smell of the maple syrup spilled on the ground. One large barrel spilled forth its contents of drugs, money, and guns. It pulled her focus so much she almost missed the swaying body of Clifford Blossom dangling from the rafter. She choked on a gasp and fought back her revulsion to capture Jason’s face. He looked utterly indifferent to his father’s corpse.

“The police should be here any minute. I’m going to tell them that in a panic I called you first to take care of the twins. You have about five minutes before they get here to do what you have to. They’re going to declare this a suicide. It’s not. You may be in the same family as the annoying brat who tricked me into knocking her up, but I know your tenacity for the truth. If you can solve this murder I will pay you handsomely.”

Confusion and disgust warred in Betty for top priority. The bond shook with Jughead’s panic, no doubt caused by her own feelings. Curiosity began to take over. She walked only a few steps in, not wanting to contaminate the crime scene. She pulled out her phone to take pictures and zoom in on Clifford’s neck. It had not snapped, which was very common when falling from such heights when the rope caught. Above where the rope kept him suspended there were some marks she couldn’t make out.

“I believe you. We’ll negotiate the terms later. My friends from the car, draw up some legal documents saying we won’t publish without your permission or whatever you need to do to be comfortable, and let them in here. I need their help. Tell Toni to bring her camera.”

The serpents raced to her side as soon as possible. A soft, “Holy Shit” escaped Toni as she rounded the door. Her camera was up and clicking in moments. The zoom capabilities far exceeded what Betty had on her phone.

“Can I see?” Betty snatched the camera without waiting for an answer. The markings on Clifford’s neck were a collection of small cuts and bruising. They weren’t bleeding. They hadn’t bled at all.

“He didn’t die here.” Jughead finished her thought.

“This is going to be the best story ever!” Toni whispered with real glee in her voice.

“It will be if we can get what we need. Toni, pictures of everything. We have maybe two minutes before you both need to be gone. Understood?”

The barn went quiet except for the clicks of the camera and Jughead’s low grunts as he took in the full scene.

++++++++++++++

By the time the police and her own mother were done questioning her there wasn’t even a term for how deep down to the bone exhausted Betty was. She almost preferred the police interrogation because they assumed she was telling the truth. The guard was able to confirm the story about when she arrived. Jason’s text corroborated that she was made aware of the situation only upon arrival, and really she didn’t know anything beyond that. Alice on the other hand, assumed she was lying. She went into reporter mode trying to get anyone on record for what they’d seen that night. She berated Betty high and low for being out with ‘Southside Trash’ when she was supposed to be at Veronica’s all while also asking to see the corpse. She snuck in a few pictures as they wheeled the body into the Coroner’s truck, then went back to yelling at Betty. When she was finished with that, she tried to get Jason to relinquish custody of the twins while the investigation was ongoing, then shrieked profanity at him when he refused.

Betty unzipped her dress with shaky fingers. She could hear Polly getting home from her shift. Someone really should tell her what happened, and it should have been Betty, but she only had the energy to tug on some sleeping clothes and flop into bed. 

What she was able to manage was a nap, at best, before Jughead woke her up. He was worried, anxious. Without anything to dull the connection, she could feel it hot and sharp. It wasn’t the kind of thing she’d felt from him before in crowds. No, this felt like being cornered. It cut off her air. She wanted to run to him, help fight off whatever was making him feel that way. Slowly as she fully woke up she remembered what he had done for her in similar situations. She slowed her own breathing. She took in the serenity of her own space and passed her feelings on to him. By degrees, she could feel it working on him. A few minutes later a text of thanks arrived on her phone.

Betty  
Want to talk about it?”

Jughead  
No. There are other things we have to talk about. Will your mom let you come out?” 

Betty  
She’ll ground me, but she works a shift starting at noon. She can’t enforce it. 

Jughead  
My place. 4. 

 

It was just past ten. Betty intended to sleep for every spare minute she had until it was time to get ready but everytime she closed her eyes to try, there was Clifford Blossom. There was no reprieve from the image of that limp body. The dull eyes popping out of that sickly blue cyanotic skin. 

She’d see it until she finished the story, she knew that from experience. If only she didn’t know that from experience. Maybe add something to indicate that the following is a flashback, like “years ago or something” A younger and more naive Betty had wanted to be a reporter, just like her parents, just like now. One day wandering through woods while playing she came across a flayed cat. She’d cried and cried. Then she decided she would find out who did it. It took her weeks of looking for the same boot pattern walking to the site, but she found it on a ten year old boy. The nightmare of the cat guts, of it’s twisted face and lolling tongue ceased the day his family packed up and left Riverdale forever. But was she going to be good enough to find who did this and drive them out of her nightmares too? 

She didn’t get out of bed until she heard her mother leave. 

She hadn’t realized how much she counted on Toni’s interference between her and Jughead until she pulled up at his house and clenched at the lack of Toni’s ugly car. In the harsh light of the midday sun hidden behind dark clouds she was going to be really totally alone with her A.N.S.S match for the first time since that night in the woods. 

She shivered walking up to the door. It was as if Clifford’s death had killed the last vestiges of summer. Fall had come to Riverdale.

She tried so hard to hold on to the cold. To hold on to her need for the truth, but there he was, warmth and light. Soft comfort even with a grave look on his face. He could make it fade away, even before she got to the bottom of it all. That was the danger of being bound. Of having someone who could tug you back down when you were worked up. Sometimes all it takes is a push to get started.

“Do you want to come in? Because you kind of feel like you’re about to bolt.” Jughead had on a white undershirt, his mark out on display, and a look showing his confusion at her hesitation.

“I’m coming in.”

The pictures Toni took of the barn were scattered all over his living room floor. Word of the killing had no doubt spread across social media by now. Cheryl’s tear stained face, no matter how insincere had been all over Betty’s snapchat, scrolling on everyone’s story. And then there was this. The real truth of it all. A stoic family far more concerned with reputation than with the death of the head of their family. It wasn’t enough, not remotely. But it was a start.

“Did you see the marks on his neck?” She dropped her coat and purse by the door, ready to work.

“No bleeding means he was dead or close to it when the cuts were made. The ligature marks above it means he was probably strangled elsewhere, brought to his own barn, then hung as a way to hide what the killer had done. I’m personally pretty 50/50 on if the drugs and guns were actually Clifford’s or if they were planted. Asking around everyone is fairly certain that he was running drugs, but he wasn’t stupid enough to keep them in his own home.”

“Mr. Blossom? A drug runner?” 

“You didn’t really believe that his entire fortune was made off of maple sugar, did you?”

Betty blushed a little, “Yeah, I kinda did.” 

That half smirk was back on his face, ”Of course you did.”

“You keep saying that. You and Toni. ‘Of course.’ As if you know me so well. You’d be shocked at the things I know.”

“No, I really don’t think I would. I don’t think I’ll ever be shocked by you, Betty Cooper. I don’t think I’ll ever walk into a dark room and jump if you’re there ever again. I’ll be expecting you to be around every corner of every street for the rest of my life.”

Just like that the five feet between them was nothing. It might as well have been an eyelashes worth of space for all it meant. He crossed it in one stride, pressing his lips firmly to hers. She was utterly lost in it because she knew exactly what he meant. She knew he was coming for her. He could never surprise her by flying across the country, she’d know the moment he got on a plane. He’d never collaborate with Veronica on throwing a party for her, she’d feel his anticipation.

She could feel his hesitation as surely as she could feel his fingers tangling in her hair at the base of her neck. He didn’t know how far she was willing to go, but he’d know the moment she wanted to stop. She let him languish in uncertainty, unwilling to say the words when he should have been able to tell from her rough panting. She let her fingers trail along his waistline then up his back to bring him even more firmly towards her. A picture crumbled under her foot as they inched closer to the sofa. Wasn’t that important? Weren’t they just talking about something else?

It wasn’t important now that he was pushing her onto the couch, crawling over her on the cushions. Now that he was spreading her legs to settle between her thighs. Now that she was unbuckling his pants and tugging up shirt. She couldn’t bear to break their mouths apart so she just let her hand reach up his sleeve to feel his mark bonding them together instead of turning to look at it. Touching it turned their tenuous bond into a channel rushing every sensation back and forth between them. They both let out loud gasping moans.

He reared up away from her still kneeling between her legs, “Sex rule number one, no touching the mark unless you’re ready for this all to be over. I haven’t jerked off since we bonded because I thought it might pass awkward feelings over the bond, so I’m kind of on edge.”

“Marks are for cumming, got it.” She tore her shirt off and began sucking on his collar bone. “Do you already have a rule two, or can we get your pants off?”

“God Damn It, Cooper!” Jughead hoisted her up by her thighs and carried her across the house to what must have been his room.

“What, you didn’t like the couch?” she asked between breaths as he stripped off his pants and boxers. He was long and lean, hardly any hair except what lead down to the erection jutting out from his thighs. He was more well defined than she would have thought under those baggy clothes. His muscles cut delicious lines in his skin.

“The first time shouldn’t be on a couch.” He stripped off her pants, smoothing his hands down the flesh of her thighs as he went.

“I’m not a virgin.” She confessed as he lowered his weight back on top of her.

“Neither am I, but it’s not about that. Just because it isn’t the very first time doesn’t mean it isn’t our first time together. I plan on this being a long affair, Betts. I have a feeling I’ll want to remember this. You laid bare across my sheets? It’s a great visual.”

Once there was nothing left covering her he began committing her to memory with tongue, teeth, and hands. He lathed kisses up her leg starting at her knee and moving north before licking the seam of her hip bones. Then down and across he gave attention to her clit until she was writhing but not undone. Her desperation see-sawed back and forth between the two of them allowing her only to catch her breath when it would retreat for a few precious moments. When she tried to tug him up by his hair he pinned her wrists at her sides.

Slowly, desperately, achingly slowly, his mouth moved up to her breasts as the rest of him fit over her. He brought her arms above her head, careful not to let his skin brush against the dark pigment of her mark. His cock slid wetly against where she wanted it.

“God you’re gorgeous.” He breathed across her neck, rocking against her in pulses.

“Please, Juggie.”

It was all the encouragement he needed to finally enter her. She moaned, crossing her legs behind him to draw him in. Nothing else could possibly compare. It was as if she’d been doing everything wrong her whole life. Every other encounter, even if it was just two boys, hadn’t given her a fraction of what she could feel from Jughead. Desperate little cries were escaping her with every thrust. What had started as a slow thumping pace was ramping into a pounding rhythm between them. He was slamming into her hips with perfect force, plunging into her with delicious friction that sent shocks to her clit. 

“Oh FUCK Betty,” heated groans were tumbling from Jughead’s lips with heated intensity.

It was all so much, but not enough. She wanted more, of everything. She slid her arm down until her hand encased his mark. She all but screamed as the cascade of sensation flooded into her. It wasn’t just that she could feel how aroused he was slipping into her, it’s that she could feel the sensation of her tight heat wrapping around him. She felt fucking high off of the crescendo of every pulse of his cock in her. There was no end of him and start of her, just a jumble of them and the friction, the heat, the need.

As her left hand clutched to their bond her right dug harsh lines into his back in a line of pain that just turned into more heat between them, and then she was spasming around him. Every clench of her muscles around him as she orgasmed translated into a pulse of cum shooting out of him. They clutched at each other moaning and shuddering their way through the shared ripples of ecstasy.

“Oh holy Fuck.” Jughead said against her collarbone as they finally settled. “When I was a kid I heard someone describe cumming and when it happened to me for the first time I didn’t understand the hype about the Earth shattering. I think I get it now.”

She chuckled, “Maybe I just had really shitty sex until today.”

“Well in your case, that’s obviously true.” he joked. “Seriously though, can I ask you a question?”

“I would say you just did, but I’ll refrain. What is it?”

“If I don’t want to go to college a thousand miles from you, if I want to be in the same state as you, would you be okay with that?”

How could she deny him anything when he was right there looking down at her, “Of course, Juggie.”

“What about the same city? What about the same school? The same major?”

The afterglow was fading fast into dull afternoon light. 

“I think we should talk about Clifford’s murder and leave hypotheticals for another day. Besides, we don’t even know where we’ll be accepted yet.” she said omitting that she’d gotten several already.

Jughead sat up, giving her enough room to start tugging her clothes back on after a quick wipe down with tissues. “That’s the thing, if we register as bonded it would increase both our chances of getting into good programs. Schools in the same state are more likely to take half of a pair.”

“Registration? This isn’t the 80s. There’s a reason why it’s illegal to force people to register against their will. It gets you on a list, a list that other people are privy to. Anyone could get ahold of that information. I thought we agreed that this going public would be bad for both of us.”

“Right, we agreed.” Jughead said with his face covered in a sour look. 

Betty clutched at his sheets, needing to be covered, “You said that the Serpents couldn’t ever find out. You said that. How are you mad at me right now?

Jughead sighed, “I’m not mad I’m just… Look this thing between us, you can’t possibly think it’s platonic. I mean I know you think bonding doesn’t have to be romantic or sexual, but that clearly isn’t the case for us. I can’t stand the idea of anyone kissing you but me. Can you imagine me marrying some other girl?”

Hot jealousy pinched both of them.

“See? That’s what I mean. We’re in this forever. I know what I said, but the cat is bound to come out of the bag sooner or later. We have to think about when and how we want that to happen. Don’t let the house fool you, we don’t have money saved up for me to go to school. There are scholarships meant to keep bonded pairs together for higher education but in order to get one we have to register. Will you at least think about it, for my sake?” Jughead tugged his clothes on in the silence.

Betty slipped out of the covers to pull her pants on, “Juggie? I won’t leave you behind.”

He only grunted in response while tugging on a long sleeve t-shirt.

“Hey,” she grabbed his arm to turn him to face her, “I know that I’m not handling this well. I’m sorry that I can’t just turn the panic off, but I can’t. That doesn’t mean that I’m going to walk away from this. From you. I’m working on it, but I need time. I can’t lay out both of our futures right now. Just let me be distracted by the story. Better yet, get distracted with me. Work with me. Write with me. I promise it’s the best way for us to really get to know each other.”

He was hopeful. So hopeful, “As you wish, Betts.”


	7. Pop's

“I’m telling you Betty, it was life changing!” Alice was ranting at Betty while she got ready to meet Veronica at Pop’s. There were no locks in the apartment which meant that as Betty moved from room to room Alice could follow behind as she pleased.

“I went to this one session at the conference led by two people who had been married before the woman found her soulmate. They were both so much happier after the divorce. Yes, even the man. He hadn’t realized how little they’d had in common because they’d barely dated other people before getting married. That’s what happened to me! That’s what happens to so many people. They just fall into a relationship with and marry the first person they’re attracted to. That’s why my grandmother was against people going ‘steady’, because dating shouldn’t be so monogamous. People need options. Betty, are you even listening to what I’m saying?”

She was listening. She was just also trying to figure out how to take off her current shirt so that she could put on her nicer one for the evening out. She’d already awkwardly exchanged her pants for a skirt as Alice rambled.

“Yes, it’s the exact same thing you told me yesterday. Even if I don’t find my sync partner I should still keep my options open and not settle too quickly.”

“Don’t roll your eyes at me! It makes sense and you know it.”

Betty stood looking at her mom. Alice stared back, “What?”

“Privacy please? Can I change my bra without you in here? Don’t you want to go give Polly the same spiel you just gave me?”

Alice finally retreated toward the door, “I would talk to Polly but she’s got two toddlers. Sometimes settling is the better option.”

“Mom! That’s terrible! You don’t think Polly should hold out for love?”

Alice was out of the room but Betty knew she was just on the other side of the door, “I’m not saying she shouldn’t, I’m just saying that for now she’s stuck in Riverdale and needs to consider what that means. Quite frankly she should be pushing for more custody to get the amount of child support she deserves out of Jason.”

Betty changed quickly expecting her mom to burst back in any time, “That’s not better, mom. She doesn’t want his money. Besides, I know he’s a jerk but he’s not a bad father. It wouldn’t be right to take parenting time away from him.”

“No one inside the walls of Thornhill can possibly be a good parent. Didn’t you hear what Penelope did when she heard Cheryl is a lesbian? And she thinks it worked! She actually believes that conversion therapy works and that Cheryl is straight now. But I’ll bet a ton of money when she’s done with the internship and off to college it’s not a boyfriend she’ll be bringing back to meet the parents. You’re not a lesbian are you? Because if you are and that’s why you’re avoiding the dates I’ve been setting you up on, you can just tell me. I won’t ever send you to one of those horrible places. I love my children, unlike some parents.”

Betty closed her eyes and counted back from 20. There were just no moments of peace any more. Not since Alice had decided she was a matchmaker and kept trying to set Betty up with every eligible bachelor in town. It was getting to the point where Betty wondered if it was better or worse than the constant hounding about what she’d seen of Clifford’s body.

“Not gay Mom, I would have told you.”

“Oh, speaking of Cheryl, did you read about the initial autopsy findings?”

Betty restarted her count. The findings had been unsurprising for the most part. Clifford died of asphyxiation. The coroner working with the police department decided it was most likely a suicide but were waiting on tox results before they could close the case. It didn’t mention the markings at all, though it did note unusual blood pooling.

“I don’t want to talk about Clifford anymore.” At least, not with Alice and not at all for the evening. What she wanted was to spend a single night in the land of delusion just like it was old times with Veronica. They would eat food that was beyond their calorie count, gossip, and paint their nails. She might even tell Ronnie about Jughead. Not everything, but maybe a few hints that she was crushing on a Southsider. That same Southsider boy was off who knows where doing something that made him feel anxious but also exhilarated. As if he was doing something he knew was wrong but liking it anyway. It was distracting.

“Fine! Sheesh! I thought you’d want to talk about the case of the century in Riverdale. You don’t want to talk about it, fine. I can find someone else to look at these crime scene photos I swiped.”

Betty flung the door open. Alice was holding a stack of photos in one hand. As Betty grabbed for them they were waved away, “Not so fast, I need to make some copies of these first. Plus I want you to promise that if you find anything of interest in these you’ll tell me.”

“Promise! If I find anything I’ll tell you. But right now, I’m running late. You’ll have the photos for me when? Tomorrow?” Betty flung a scarf around her neck and her purse over her shoulder.

“Tomorrow.” Alice confirmed, “Be safe. Make good choices. Tell Veronica ‘hi’ for me.”

“Bye Mom! I love you!”

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

“Betty!” Veronica wrapped Betty in a gloriously warm hug and for that one moment everything was normal. Even the smell of fries wafting through Pop’s was comforting. “Girl, I feel like I haven’t seen you in forever! I know that whole Archie thing was awkward, but I want you to know that I’m 100% on your side of the whole Grundy thing. He’s over it anyway. The moment that Clifford took the big leap all of the other gossip got dropped. He just doesn’t know how to say he’s sorry for being an ass. Speaking of Clifford, I heard from Josie who heard from Cheryl that you showed up to Thornhill with two Serpents reeking of weed.”

Veronica lifted one perfectly plucked eyebrow, “Care to make a statement?” She slid into one of the old worn booths and folded her hands on the table. A small smirk played on her lips.

Betty rolled her eyes but took her seat across the table. “I’m sorry I lied to you about where I was going that Friday. I was trying to make some Southside friends, one of them may or may not have gotten baked at the party. Actually, not sure if I should call her a friend. She kind of hates me even though I barely know her.”

“Hello ladies!” Kev gave Betty a wink along with his smile as he slid in next to Veronica.

“Hey, Kev.” Betty said weakly. 

Veronica gave him a hug, “Hope you don’t mind that I invited Kev to our girl’s night.”

“Not at all.” Betty lied. She could already see the wheels turning in his head.

“Betty was just telling me all about the Serpents she was allegedly hanging out with the night of Clifford’s suicide.” Ronnie said to Kev.

“Ooo! Tell me all about them. Spare no details. Are they cute? Do you feel any special bonds with any of them?”

She kicked his shin under the table, “Actually I was just telling Ronnie that Toni hates me even though I’m very nice to her.”

Kev’s smile turned nervous, “I definitely want to hear all about this, but speaking of Clifford, I may have invited Cheryl to girl’s night because she looked really sad and lonely and she’s coming over here right now.”

“Kev! No she-”

“Hey bitches!” The bright false smile on Cheryl’s lips got nowhere near to reaching her eyes. She stood at the end of the table looming over all of them. “What are we doing? Manis and Pedis? Don’t worry Betty, I’ll pay for yours since you live in the slums. I’ll consider it a charitable donation since I’m sure your feet are stinky sweaty messes. You are kind of family after all, since we’re both aunts to my adorable niece and nephew. It’s kind of miraculous that such perfect children came out of the trash heap that is your sister’s fetid womb.”

Betty turned to look at Kev who mouthed a silent apology to her.

Cheryl’s face went stony, “I’m not standing here to show off my figure, though I do look great in this dress. Scoot, bitch.”

Betty reluctantly moved farther into the booth. Veronica asked Cheryl about her life post graduation, which led her into long stories about working in the family business and Cheryl’s plan to go to NYU the following year to get her degree in business. 

Betty’s mind wandered away to the previous weekend. In the week since Clifford’s death she and Jughead had managed to create a timeline around the incident, but nothing more. He was last seen on surveillance video leaving work at 7 PM. The Blossoms ate dinner together at 8 before they went their separate ways an hour or so later. Jason stayed home with the twins, Cheryl left for a party, Clifford drove away in his Bentley. That car was still missing. 

After Cheryl declared the party ‘lame’ she came home around midnight and got into her night clothes. She tried to find her father before bed and saw the light on in the barn. She went to investigate and found Clifford’s body. She ran to get Jason. Betty arrived at the Thornhill at 12:42 AM. As Jason had predicted, despite the missing car and odd markings, Clifford’s death was being investigated as a suicide. The investigation moved swiftly away from his death to his dealings. An empire was starting to unravel.

Jughead spent the week pouring over photos with her in silence, only broken by the occasional sound of her scribbling notes, for hours upon hours in the tiny Red and Black office. Toni came and went as she pleased. She had copies of the photos at her house as well so she didn’t need to be hunched over the small working spaces to look at them. Neither Betty or Jughead felt like the pictures could safely be brought home so they were forced to do all their work at the school. It at least acted as a decent buffer to help Betty get her feelings under control.

Being alone with Jughead still overwhelmed her senses, but at least at school ringing bells, footsteps, and laughter could pull her out of the fog he put her in. Separating her internal thoughts about Jughead from the deluge of sensations that circled through the bond was no easy feat. She wanted to make sure they had common interests, shared goals. She was trying to step back to make sure Jughead was someone she’d consider a friend even if there was no bond. 

Betty sighed internally. The two things she’d told herself she wouldn’t do was to think about Clifford or Jughead. Five minutes in and she was failing at both. She thoughtfully turned her attention to the conversation Cheryl and Ronnie were having. About 30 seconds later the bell to Pop’s jingled and Betty just knew that Jughead had walked in. 

She tried to nonchalantly peer over her shoulder at the door. His eyes met hers. His mouth quirked up at the corner. A blush descended upon her cheeks.

“Aren’t those the two stoners you showed up at my house with?” Cheryl scoffed.

Betty hadn’t even noticed Toni.

Veronica giggled, “Betty, are you blushing?”

“What? No. Of course not.”

Kev smiled, “You totally are.” Then his eyes went wide, “Oh my God! Is that him?”

Kev practically leaned himself right out of the booth to ogle Jughead, “You’re right he is cute.”

Betty did her best to die of absolute humiliation at the way her friends were staring at Jughead.

Veronica swatted at her hands, “Betty! You’re totally crushing on that guy.”

“I am not crushing on anyone. He’s the editor and chief of the Red and Black. He and the pink haired girl are the only people I hang out with at Southside High and you guys are being super embarrassing.”

Cheryl put on her most glowing fake smile and waved her hand, “Hello! Hi! Yes, you. You are the only two homeless looking people in here, so I’ll just assume you’re the same Southsiders who were in my driveway last week. Are you looking for Betty? She’s right here.”

Toni stalked over to their booth, “I don’t look homeless, I look amazing. And I was planning on coming over here and ripping your outfit apart, but it’s kinda on point.”

Cheryl tossed her hair, “I know.”

Toni turned to Betty, “We found something. In the things. About the thing.”

Veronica said, “Oh no no no no. This? This is ladies night. Whatever story Betty’s all wrapped up in will just have to wait until tomorrow.”

Jughead leaned casually against the booth, “Betty Cooper? Turning down a story for some girl time? That doesn’t sound right to me.” It was followed by a smirk. He didn’t even look around the table, just let his gaze settle on her and stay there. The blush intensified.

“Ugh.” Toni groaned, “You two are gross. I’m Toni, for anyone who’s interested since Betty clearly isn’t going to introduce me. Rude.”

Cheryl gave Betty a thoughtful look, “She is rude.”

“No, I’m not. It’s 2018, people introduce themselves.”

Cheryl continued undeterred, “The worst part is even with everything wrong with her, which is a lot- I could go on for days- is that she’s the best of the Coopers.”

Toni slid in next to Cheryl squishing Betty even further into the booth. “How is that possible? Betty’s the worst.”

“I know it’s hard to imagine but let me tell you about the horror show that is the rest of the Cooper family.”

“Actually, how about we go talk about that thing with the things?” Betty pulled her knees up so she could stand on the bench and climb over the top of it into the next booth over. 

“Betty!” Veronica called out.

“I’ll be gone one minute. Five at most. Toni?” Betty was going to put the investigation away, she really was. A soon as she knew whatever the newest piece of the puzzle was. There was no way she’d be able to concentrate all night if she knew there were juicy details waiting for her.

“I’m Kev.” He said while trying to capture Jughead’s hand in a shake.

“Jughead.” He said while moving it out of the way. “No offense, I just don’t touch.”

Veronica held up a hand, “Excuse me, Jughead? Betty, you’re ditching us for a guy named Jughead?”

“I swear I’ll be right back.”

Betty asked Toni to join them for the debrief but she waved them off, “I’m a girl. I’d like to be a part of girl’s night.”

“We can make room for one more.” Cheryl agreed, “Now, let me tell you about Polly Cooper.”

Betty caught herself reaching for Jughead’s hand as they left the comfort of the diner for the cold outside air.

“Are you really voluntarily hanging out with Cheryl Blossom? I thought she hated you?” Jughead asked as he rounded the corner of Pop’s to stand near the dumpster. It didn’t smell great, but it blocked them from the wind and prying eyes.

“She does, she wasn’t invited by me, and even with the unexpected guests I really need to get back, so what do you have for me?”

Jughead slid a few pictures out of his pocket from his leather jacket. As he opened it a hint of his scent filled the air. As a small flash of heat curled in her she pointedly ignored the smile creeping onto Jughead’s mouth. She loudly cleared her throat and took the photo from him.

“What am I looking at?” she asked.

Jughead pointed at a few circled areas that she couldn’t distinguish in the dim fluorescent red lights. “These are all the non-foot treads coming into and out of the barn. Anything with wheels. The pallets found in the barn are a standard 4ft by almost 3.5 ft. The barrels are nearly two feet around so to get two of them side by side on a piece of equipment it’d have to be at least 4 feet wide. Using angles we determined that this set of tread here,” he pointed at a set that moved from the front of the barn to the back, “Is only 2 ft at the base. No way it holds 4ft cargo.”

Betty nodded, “You think it was used to wheel in Clifford’s body.”

“Right, only by now we won’t be able to see where it came from. Fortunately Toni took pictures of the ground. There are a set of boot prints besides the cart. They’re small and have heels.”

“A woman’s boot.” Betty concluded. “A woman who wasn’t strong enough to carry Clifford herself, so she used a cart-”

“-probably wheeled him up one of the walking paths-”

“-tugging him by a rope around his neck causing the weird blood pooling, scratches and bruises-”

“-then used pulleys and counterweights to get Clifford up to the rafter-”

“-tied him off and let him hang! All we need to do is go to Thornhill and look at the beams to see rope burn!” Betty excitedly threw her arms around Jughead’s neck as the scene took shape.

God she loved the feel of him fitting in next to her, she pulled back, “Sorry, I mean, good work. You and Toni really outdid yourselves.”

She tried to slide away from him, but his arm held fast around her waist keeping her close. 

“Don’t back away on my account.”

It was starting. The swirling pit in her stomach. The tingle down her mark as the vortex pulled them tighter together. She kept her hands firmly on his chest to dissuade both of them from moving closer. 

In a desperate bid to move their attention elsewhere Betty asked, “Where were you earlier? I could feel your adrenaline.”

As Jughead leaned his head forward Betty tilted back. It stopped his lips from reaching hers but let him nuzzle against the base of her neck which was almost worse. “It doesn’t concern you. Don’t worry about it.”

That response irritated her enough to really pull back, “Of course it’s my concern. If you’re off being a daredevil that’s something I need to know about.”

Jughead sighed against her collarbone, “I’m not being a daredevil. How about I tell you in exchange for a kiss?”

“How about in exchange for 3 minutes of kisses you take me with you next time you go wherever it is you went to?”

“I accept, only because I know that if I don’t tell you you’ll just find out later by doing some stupid dangerous research.”

He pulled her mouth to his. She melted. There was nothing left of her when his tongue swept over her lips into her mouth. She tangled one hand in the hair at his neck slipping a few fingers under his crown. The other clung forcefully to his jacket over where the band of his mark circled his arm. They hadn’t kissed since the day they’d spent entwined at his house. A week’s worth of pent up passion was spilling back and forth between them.

He stepped forward pushing her against the faded siding of Pop’s. She practically climbed him. She found leverage to pull herself up closer to his mouth and hitched one leg over his hip. He grabbed the leg bringing it higher while stroking her thigh all the way up and around to her ass. He gave it a tight squeeze making her shudder against him.

A car honked its horn in the parking lot. Reminded of her surroundings, Betty lowered her leg in concession. Their lips remained locked, gently moving across each other with less fervor as she tried to calm them both down. After a minute of languid kisses she was able to tear her mouth away to pant against his neck.

Jughead tugged her head gently to one side to whisper in her ear, “I’m only human, Betty. We all need release. Text me when you’re alone. I plan on doing something tonight that I think you’ll want to be in private for.”

A small moan escaped her just thinking about it. The sound flushed arousal through him, through them.

“Or when girl’s night is over I could come over to your house and we could conduct an experiment.” Betty whispered to him.

“Oh yeah?”

“Yeah.”

“Betty!” Veronica’s voice cut through the fall air, “Betty!”

“Coming V!” Betty called before turning back to Jughead, “Don’t start without me, and remember that you promised to show me where you go. I’ll see you later.”

Betty straightened her ponytail before rounding the corner to see that the entire group was standing outside ready to leave.

“There you are. We’re heading out.” Veronica rolled her eyes as Betty stepped into the lamplight. “Don’t even try to tell me you haven’t been kissing that boy. You are going to tell me everything.”

“Gross.” Cheryl and Toni said in unison, then “Jinx.”

They linked arms and laughed with each other.

“Or we could talk about this?” Betty offered pointing at the giggling girls.

“NOPE!” Kev shouted, “We’re hearing about you first. All the details. Leave nothing out.”

Betty fervently wished time would speed up until the end of the night.


	8. Experiments

Jughead opened the door to his house just a few minutes past 11 wearing a t-shirt and gray sweats that hung loosely from his hips. A tantalizing strip of skin appeared between his clothes showing off a hipbone and a trail of hair.

“My Dad’s out for the night. Do you have a curfew?”

“Not unless Veronica tattles on me.” Betty gave in to her impulses tugging Jughead close to bring him into a deep kiss.

“You’re trying to distract me,” Jughead mumbled against her cheek when he pulled away to take a few deep breaths.

“Distract you from what?”

“I do believe you mentioned something about an experiment, Ms Cooper. I’ve been fascinated all night. Preoccupied trying to figure out what you could be thinking about.”

“You know exactly what I’ve been thinking all night,” she whispered back.

There was no way he could have missed the low level of arousal that sang in her skin. She was sure at least part of it was his to begin with. She pushed him a few inches back to tug his shirt off over his head. He let it slide off before pulling her back into a bruising kiss. His tongue greedily invaded her mouth. Their mouths massaged and fought each other in equal measure.

“This is a bedroom kind of experiment,” Betty panted out when she was done tasting him.

He raced them up to his room before tugging at her skirt and shirt, “Any kind of bedroom experiment has my full seal of approval at all times. Seriously. I’m trying to think of a single event that I wouldn’t be willing to leave for it. I’m coming up blank. I think I’m addicted to your mouth.”

She pressed a finger to his lips when he came in for another kiss, “Then you may be disappointed because this investigation won’t involve my mouth at all.”

He looked puzzled, “Then what will it involve?”

“Earlier you said you had an issue you were going to take care of yourself. For scientific purposes I thought we should probably be near each other the first time we attempt to… stimulate ourselves so that we can communicate about the effects.”

“Betty Cooper! I’m scandalized! You want to watch me jerk off!” 

Betty turned crimson but tried to look like she was still in control, “Actually, I was thinking it should be the other way around. I’ll touch myself while you’re nearby. That way if the experience isn’t as satisfying for you as it is for me we can still have sex afterwards.”

Jughead couldn’t help but dive in to taste her mouth again. His hands clutched at the bare skin of her sides. He couldn’t seem to stop them from trailing up to remove her bra so he could run his thumbs over her nipples. 

“Yes, yeah, yes. I think this is a great idea. Maybe the best idea ever.” He said between kisses. Betty giggled into him.

He lead her over to the bed. He continued to kiss her as they laid side by side on the comforter. When she started to pull away his lips followed after, keeping them locked together. She giggled again.

“The point of this is to make it as close as possible to what it will be like if we’re really alone. We should know how this affects us if we choose to masturbate. You can’t keep touching me. You’re messing up the data!”

“I may have to leave the room. I’m not great at control when it comes to you and bare skin.” Jughead said it seriously, but made no move to get up.

Once they weren’t touching any more Betty’s nerves took over. She felt exposed. She moved herself under his blankets under his watchful eye. She had to close her eyes before she could work up the courage to move her hand between her thighs. She was already wet from the kissing. She easily slipped her fingers over her clit. Jughead gasped beside her.

“Did you feel that?” She asked coyly. 

He nodded.

She ran circles over her clit with one hand while her other snuck up to pinch at her nipples. With every move of her hands or wave of pleasure Jughead’s sounds mirrored what she was feeling. His hands grabbed fistfulls of the comforter as he strained to keep them to himself.

“Fuck. It feels like so much but not enough,” Jughead groaned, “Ugh, God. You feel so good, but I need more Betts.”

Betty moaned and began to move faster. Both of them started breathing harder, faster under the onslaught of sensation. Betty could feel herself building so close to the precipice.

“Fuck, Betty. Come on. You have to cum for me. I can’t get off unless you do and I’m so fucking hard baby. I want it so bad. Please baby?”

Betty was writhing, moving her hips in time to her hand. Finally she crested over the edge and began riding the waves of her orgasm. She felt Jughead clamp one hand around her mark then heard him find his own release.

“Best experiment ever. For the record, I don’t think can get off like that without you in the room. The connection’s strongest when we’re near each other. It’ll be impossible to resist touching myself though. I could feel everything.” Jughead kissed her cheek then wiped himself down before sliding into the covers with her. “It’s good to know that if we do go to different colleges I’ll still be able to feel that part of you though.”

In the aftermath of their coming together a blissful Betty trailed a finger along Jughead’s chest. “If you could go to any college, if grades and money weren’t a factor where would you go?”

“M.I.T.”

“Really? You want to be an engineer?” She propped an elbow up to look at his face. He kept it tilted toward the ceiling not looking back.

“No, I want to be a technical writer. You know how every car has a driver’s manual? Someone has to write those. Texts on putting engines together, stuff like that. It pays really well, it’s an in demand field, and I’d still have time to write the things I want to on the side. I applied actually and I got in.”

“Juggie! That’s amazing! That’s a great life plan! I’m so proud of you!” Betty cuddled him into a hug that he only returned with one hand.

“It would be, if I could afford it.”

It dawned on Betty, “That’s why you want us to get on the A.N.S.S. registry. We can both get scholarships.”

“It’s more than just the money, Betty.” Jughead turned on his side so that they could face each other. “You know, I keep telling you to just give in and let this bond happen, but I don’t think I’ve ever told you why it was so easy for me.”

He pushed a strand of hair out of her face, “I was bound to this town. I was born here. I joined the Serpents thinking why not since I’ll probably die here. I went about my life not touching anybody because I was terrified of tethering them down too. Then this tenacious blonde waltzes into my life and just snaps the cords. Everything tying me down to the Southside just disappeared in a blink. There was no way I could leave for myself, but for you? For you I can get out of this town. Yeah, registering would make it easier, and yeah, I want to go to M.I.T. if I can. If I can’t it doesn’t matter because there’s you.”

“Betty, for the longest time I thought it was all bullcrap too. I just couldn’t believe that there was a woman who would go chasing down stories with me then fix a car while I worked on my bike. But here you are. When I say you’re perfect, I mean that you fit me perfectly. The rest will fit too.”

She laid a soft kiss to his lips. “I got into Wellesley. It’s a sister school to M.I.T. Their writing program is excellent. I’m still wary of registering, but I want you to know that you don’t have to make these decisions alone.”

“Speaking of not doing things alone, do you still want to know what I’ve been up to?”

“So much. I was trying to be good by not asking. Please tell me?” She clasped her hands and batted her eyelashes.

Jughead laughed, “Slow down. How about we do show instead of tell? Want to come with me? It means getting out of bed at 4 A.M. though, if that changes your mind.”

“Are you kidding me? Now I’m more intrigued than ever.”

He laughed again at her enthusiasm. A soft kiss was laid on her head as he cuddled her in close, “Sleep well, you may not like me as much in the morning.”

++++++++++++++++++++  
At 4 o’clock in the morning Betty’s best friend was the cup of coffee she clutched tightly on the drive to wherever it was they were going. Jughead didn’t give her any details about where they were headed. He just hijacked her keys while she was too sleepy to fight back then drove them toward a sleepy neighborhood. They stopped in front of a large white house with clean trimmed hedges. Betty knew the family, their children graduated a few years before Betty started at Riverdale.

Jughead pressed a finger to his lips to show her to be silent. They scaled a tree up to a window. Inside Mr. Roberts was asleep in the bed next to a woman who was 20 years too young to be the Mrs. Roberts that Betty remembered. Jughead began snapping photos.

“You’re a P.I.?” Betty whispered.

Jughead sighed, “Not exactly. I don’t know what you’ve been told about Serpents, but there’s something called a snake charmer. Back in my sophomore year I asked one for a favor. She wanted one in return. I was told to drop off a package. Like an idiot I did it only to later find out I’d dropped off cocaine and she had pictures. Fast forward a few months to me opening the Red and Black. Penny finds out that I’m a damn good reporter-”

“- and now it’s your job to gather the blackmail material. Juggie, that’s awful.” She put a hand on his shoulder as they remained balanced in the tree.

“The awful part is that I’m good at it, and I kind of like it. I have dirt on everybody in this town. I know what makes people tick. Every new Serpent looking to get in has to go through my vetting. Makes me feel safe.”

“I knew it! I knew you were trading secrets.” Betty shushed herself when she realized her volume was going up. “Doesn’t that make you a target though? If people don’t like the messenger they like the person informing the messenger even less.”

“Yeah, it does.” Jughead leapt to the ground cradling his camera before helping Betty jump. “I told you it isn’t safe to get with me.”

“Luckily everyone sees me as just the dumb blonde who’s following the Serpent Prince around.”

Jughead chuckled, “What fools they are. As if the great Betty Cooper would ever follow a man.”

They quietly got back into Betty’s car, “Does everyone know that you do this? How common is the knowledge that you’re -what was her name,Penny?- that you’re Penny’s info guy?”

“At this point? Anyone on the inside knows that I’m her guy, but they also know that if they take me out she’s got someone waiting to take my place. Like Hydra. Only, you know, I’m not a Nazi.”

“Good, that’s a deal breaker. I don’t suppose you ever gathered information on the late Mr. Blossom? Or at least saw his file. Are there files?”

“There are files and backups, then backup of the backups. Clifford’s was standard. Dealing drugs, terrible parent, tried to get Jason involved in the business. The weird part was that the only drug he was running was weed. Yesterday they confirmed what they found on the scene was cocaine. That wasn’t coming from our side of town, but we definitely would have noticed if there had been an influx. It’s part of why so many people out here think it was a set up. Rich white guy who owns half the town offs himself and shows off his stash? No way.”

“Sounds like it’s time for us to head to the Blossom estate to confirm what we saw in the photos.”

Jughead nodded, “I’ll volunteer to call Toni. She’s not going to be happy about the hour.”

Betty held back a sigh, “I doubt she’ll be getting up to come with. She and Cheryl were very cosy last night. I would say don’t text her at all, but she’ll be so pissed if we don’t at least try to bring her with.”

Jughead started up her car and peeled out towards the Thornhill estate. “By the way, why does Toni dislike you so much? Did something happen between you two that I don’t know about? She’s so nice to everyone else.”

“I assumed you knew! I’ve been trying to figure that out since minute one. You were there when we first met in health class. I doubt I’ve spent more than 3 minutes alone with Toni that you weren’t there for. I was hoping you could shed some light.”

Jughead smirked, “Guess it’ll remain a mystery for a little while longer”

About a mile from Thornhill Betty made Jughead pull the car over. Taking the driveway up to Thornhill wouldn’t do them any good, they had to find the back path. Traipsing through the fallen leaves on the Thornhill grounds reminded Betty of that first night they were running around after Grundy. It took almost 2 hours in the soft pinks of the dawn light to find a trail leading up to the house. It was a fairly easy slope that lead right up to the barn. 

“I’m not looking to get arrested for trespassing, Betts.”

“Jason’s the one who asked me to look into this in the first place. He doesn’t want many people to know so he won’t turn us in, at least I don’t think so. Penelope on the other hand…”

“We’ll keep quiet. Alert me if you see the Red Witch heading our way.”

The barn was back to looking like nothing had happened there with the exception of a ring where the barrel of syrup had spilled over revealing the drugs and money. It was all cleared again, just like the trail up to the house, it had simply been too long since the murder to find anything left. They traced back the steps they’d found in the dust, took pictures to compare, looked at the tracks that could be made by any equipment still found in the barn, then finally began climbing up to the rafter Clifford was found hanging from.

“This makes no sense.” Jughead was whispering despite it just being the two of them. “There are no pulleys here. Nothing to counterweight with. If a single small female did this she was either a bodybuilder or it would have taken her all night.”

“Look at this,” Betty pointed to the edge of the beam. Soft splinters were rubbed away in grooves the same width as the rope. “Someone pulled Clifford’s body up here, not mechanically but with brute strength. The woman had to have had help, if she’s involved at all. What I’m wondering is why did the killer leave behind the drugs and money? Think about it. That’s thousands and thousands of dollars they forfeited just to make this look like a suicide. If Cliff really wasn’t dealing cocaine, someone had to acquire that many pounds of it just to leave it behind. Why? Aren’t there easier less expensive ways to take care of this if you just want someone dead? What are we missing?”

Jughead shrugged, “I wish I knew. Let’s get this camera back to the house to develop the pictures. I’ll ask Toni to go over them and see if she catches something we missed.”

When they were back on solid ground Jughead gave her a soft kiss. “You head home. I’m going to follow that trail to see where it starts. Be safe.”

“Of course. I lo- I’ll look out for people as I go. I’ll text you if I see anyone.”

If he felt the butterflies that filled her stomach he was nice enough to pretend not to notice.


	9. Penny for Your Thoughts

Betty couldn’t help but stare as Toni giggled to herself while typing away at the screen of her phone. Next to her on the cafeteria bench Jughead seemed equally enthralled by the sight. Tough as nails Toni was blushing over a crush and Betty couldn’t decide if it was endearing or disturbing. She settled on both given she knew who the recipient of Toni’s affections was.

“So, Toni, how’s Cheryl today?”

“That’s exactly none of your business. Notice how I was polite enough to not ask about the hickey Jughead left on your neck even when he assured me he was going home to have an early night last night.”

“Hey!” Jughead spoke up, “I did have an early night last night. I just didn’t go to bed entirely alone.”

Betty smacked his arm for telling Toni more than she needed to know. He gave her a light shrug to remind her that it wasn’t as if the whole of the Southside didn’t know they were something to each other. Jughead wasn’t exactly subtle with his attention to Betty. He was prone to slinging an arm around her while walking between classes, sneaking kisses to her cheek, or taking her hand to tug her along behind him. Rumors were starting about just how close they were since they were obviously already dating.

“If you already know who gave me the hickey, what else could you possibly want to know and why?” Betty asked.

“If you already know who I’m talking to and you know it’s someone you don’t want to hang out with, what else could you possibly want to know and why?” Toni shot back.

“Because as much of a pain as Cheryl can be she’s part of my extended family tree and I know that her mother isn’t exactly the easiest person to get along with. Especially with her feelings about two women dating. If you guys ever need anything…”

Toni rolled her eyes, “I appreciate the offer, but we’re both grown ups. Mama Blossom is all bluster with no bite. What’s the worst she can do? Cancel Cheryl’s inheritance? Jason will hire Cheryl into the company the moment the big bad witch is dead, or even sooner if he can vote her off the board. Plus, we’re keeping it casual. We hang out, we have a good time, we’re not officially dating.”

Jughead cracked his knuckles, “Let’s examine the evidence, shall we Betty?”

“Oh yes, lets.”

“Tell me Betty, how many times have our fair Toni and Cheryl been out together?”

“In the five weeks since they met up at the diner at least 16 times, that we know of, Jughead.”

“So that’s averaging just over three times a week. Interesting. And how often do you think Toni and Cheryl text each other?”

“I’d definitely say at least daily, but honestly that really underestimates the amount of time they spend messaging each other. I’d say at least 1-2 hours daily.”

They kept pretending to consult with each other, nodding with serious faces. “Yes. Hmmm. I see your point.”

“Yeap,” Betty said with a sigh, “I’d definitely call it at least dating. Probably a full blown relationship at this point.” 

“Who’s dating?” Sweet Pea asked as he swung a leg over the bench to sit straddling it. He ate half of a sandwich in one bite. “If you say the two of you, I’m going to say duh.”

“Toni and Cheryl.” Betty said with a smirk.

“Is Cheryl that redhead she’s always making out with at Pop’s? Hot.”

“I am not always making out with her!”

Jughead laughed, “Yeah you are, as your boss I’d be mad at you if I actually had any work for you to do.”

After finding the rope marks on the rafter and the trail where Clifford’s body was hauled up the hill, the trail had gone completely cold. They had no new information. The pictures Alice gave Betty were just worse versions of what the team already had. There wasn’t even anything mundane to write about except for the terrible weather. Summer had lingered so long they only had a few weeks of fall before the snow arrived. All of Riverdale was covered in dingy grey slush splashed with dirt. Nobody wanted to read about how uncharacteristically cold it was or how it was going to be a long hard winter.

Toni nodded, “Tell me about it. Cheryl’s actually been asking me about her Dad’s case. I think she’s starting to miss him. He was a much better parent than that thing occupying a female human form living under her roof.”

Jughead sighed, “I wish we had more to tell them. I gave them everything we had but it didn’t help them come up with a list of names any more than it helped us. The police officially named it a suicide even after the coroner said there were inconsistencies; Possibly because of the pressure from the mayor’s office. There haven’t been any other murders, no one’s been taking over Clifford’s selling route, there hasn’t been an influx of cocaine pointing to who may have had some in the first place. We’re fresh out of leads.”

“Short of asking every woman in town to show us her shoes we don’t have any kind of game plan to get more info either.” Betty finished.

“Have either of you been staring at feet too?” Toni asked, “I feel like I’ve been staring at people’s feet a lot. There are a lot of small footed women in this town. I haven’t had the guts to ask anyone to take their shoes off for a sizing yet. I actually considered taking a job at a Footlocker but I decided I couldn’t do that to my sense of smell.”

“What the hell are you guys talking about?” Sweet Pea asked through a mouth full of pizza.

Toni reflexively said, “Don’t worry about it.”

“They’re talking about the evidence they have on Clifford’s hanging.” Fangs answered. “Have you not been paying attention for the last two months?”

“What can I say? I just don’t care that much.”

The bell to signal the end of lunch rang loudly. Jughead dropped a kiss on her head before heading off with Toni to their next class. Betty had a study hall since she’d already earned enough credits to graduate without having a full course load. After checking in with the class supervisor, who couldn’t care less where Betty went, she made her way to the Red and Black office. 

The school computer booted up painfully slowly. Every time Betty wanted to do research she had to force herself to go through the process. She knew all of the websites by heart. Registration was a simple process. The couple was subjected to a round of 10 -17 tests, most of which were kept hidden from the general public to avoid A.N.S.S. faking, though the websites claimed a 0% false positive rate. Just like in any other medical test, names were supposed to be confidential, the issue was that the offices were blanketed with paparazzi. Soulmates were good for selling stories and most couples were fine with an exchange of money for telling their tale.

Even if Betty and Jughead wanted to deal with the gauntlet of photogs, there weren’t many doctors who were licensed to certify bonded couples. None of them were in a 50 mile radius of Riverdale. Once every couple of days Betty would log on, consider where they could go or if she even wanted to, then shut everything down, wipe the browser history, and go over the pros and cons list for the millionth time in her head.

“Knock Knock.” 

Betty startled in her seat. Before she turned to the door she shut down her browser. “Hi! I’m Betty. How can I help you?”

The woman smirked. She was wearing a Serpent jacket, but was far too old to be a student. Stringy long blonde hair framed her face. Long bangs nearly covered her eyes.

“Hello Betty, I’m looking for Jughead.”

“Our editor-in-chief isn’t here right now. Can I take a message for him?”

“Nah. I can catch up with him later. Or maybe I should just wait here with you, Betty Cooper.”

The woman perched on the edge of a table to look Betty up and down. That creepy crawly feeling of being looked at by a predator slithered across Betty’s arm leaving goose-bumps in its wake.

“I didn’t tell you my last name.” 

“Did you think you needed to? I’m Penny, by the way. Yeah, of course you’re Betty Cooper. The lovely lady who’s captured the attention of Forsythe Pendelton Jones the Third.”

Betty wasn’t about to let this woman knock her off the game. “That would make you Penny Peabody. The infamous snake charmer. The fairy who grants wishes as long as you are willing to give up everything short of your first born child. Or do you sometimes ask for a first born?”

She smiled broadly. “Not a whole first born. Maybe just the blood of one. I have no need for crying babies.”

“I’m curious.” Betty got up from her seat so she could face Penny head on, “Do you have anything on me? Any photos you think I wouldn’t want the world to see?” She said it menacingly. If there was something there Penny wouldn’t be able to help but gloat. Irritation flashed briefly in her eyes.

“Not yet, but then again, why would I? You’re nothing to this town. Leaving soon, aren’t you? We all know you’ll leave Jughead in the dust. Sure you’ll come home for the holidays, maybe say hello to some friends, but you’re just a blip in this town’s history. In college you’ll meet some dumb alpha male who will bravely defend your honor in a bar and you’ll run off and have average children somewhere far away. Why should I even pretend to care about you? I’m a Serpent, honey. I have people. I matter here. You don’t and you never will. You know what, I think I’ll go get myself a coffee and catch up with Jughead later.”

Penny turned to smile at Betty over her shoulder as she walked out the door, ”I would say nice to meet you, but I’ll probably forget your name before I make it home. Have a lovely day!”

A few moments after she’d cleared the doorway Jughead burst into the room, “Betts? What’s going on?”

“What do you mean? Nothing.” She lied unconvincingly.

“Right. Tell that to our heart rate and the rage you’re projecting right now.”

Betty sighed, “Penny stopped by.”

Jughead’s head dropped, “Ugh. What’d you say to her?”

“Nothing of any importance. She’s one of the least pleasant people I’ve ever met.”

Jughead crossed to pull her hands into his, “She’s dangerous, Betty. I mean it. I don’t want you talking to her for any reason. Ever. If she starts a conversation you smile politely and answer only in yes or no.”

“I’m a big girl, Jug. I can handle her.”

“The fact that you think that at all tells me you don’t know what you’re dealing with here. This is me personally asking you to just stay out of it.”

Betty could see his genuine worry, “Ok. Alright, I’ll back off. I just hate that you’re working with her at all. She’s not a good person. I can just feel it coming off of her.”

“Trust me, I know. Now if you’ll excuse me, I am on my way to the office for telling Mr. Barnes to go fuck a watermelon.”

“A watermelon? Really Jug?”

“What can I say? He looks the type?” Jughead gave her a wink and left.

When Betty slid into her seat in English with just Toni in front of her Jughead was nowhere in sight. He must have been suspended and was probably heading to Penny’s office to pick up whatever assignment she wanted to give him for the day. That woman was slimy. Every moment Jughead spent in her company was going to get him dragged further down with her. Betty had to get him away from her. She needed leverage against Penny.

Betty had promised Jughead that she’d stay away from Penny but that didn’t mean she couldn’t lure Penny to her.

“Hey, Toni.” Betty whispered.

“Yeah?” she answered already annoyed.

“How do I join the Serpents?”


	10. Serpent Life

The Whyte Wyrm wasn’t just a place, it was an experience. It seemed as if the whole Serpentdom came to drink, laugh, and smoke way too many cigarettes there. Pool balls clicked constantly in the background. It wasn’t even 5 o’clock on a Wednesday and it was full. 

For the millionth time since Betty crossed into the Southside she felt like a fish out of water. A leathery skinned old woman wearing a bustier that was barely containing her ample flesh laughed in Betty’s face every time they caught each other’s eye for no apparent reason. It may have been her powder blue sweater. Betty refused to let it faze her, she was determined to beat this town. Her head was high and her smile bright as Toni made her way over to where Betty was sitting at the bar.

“Thanks for meeting me here!” Betty said with a wave.

“No problem, seeing as how this is a place I frequently go and you’ve never been to before. Seriously, what’s up with you? I’m really trying to figure out why you’ve been hounding me about this.”

“What do you mean what’s up with me? This is where I live now. Where my family lives. Is it so unreasonable for me to want to join in on the culture?”

Toni rubbed at her head through her beanie, “Yeah, it really is. This isn’t some fun cultural experience. This isn’t taking a walk on the wild side to see how the other half lives. This is our daily life and struggle. You look like a tourist walking around an exhibit on Native Americans. You’re just politely looking around and you’ll leave when it closes.”

Betty shook her head, “That’s not true! I’m a Serpent, Toni. I can’t prove it to you, but it’s true. This is where I belong.”

“No, it isn’t. There are only two possible reasons why you’re trying to get initiated. Either you’re writing a story or it’s about Jughead. If it’s the first, you’ll get killed and I’ll help. If it’s the second you need to wake the fuck up and smell the Romeo and Juliet. It won’t have a happy ending. I am never ever, under any circumstances going to help you join the Serpents. Go back to your apartment. Go off to college. Forget that you were part of this town for all of five minutes and we’ll forget about you too.”

Toni stormed out of the bar with Betty protesting at her back. Every conversation they’d had about the Serpents ended pretty much the same way. Betty was left alone, frustrated, and no closer to getting what she wanted. She sipped lightly on the diet coke she’d ordered. Despite sticking out like a sore thumb no one paid her much attention.

She moved away from the bar to an empty table. The least she could do was start becoming a fixture at the Serpent haunt, it couldn’t hurt her reputation. A few 20 somethings clapped each other on the back as their pool game came to an end. As they started to move off in different directions one of them caught Betty’s eye a few times. He was tanned with shoulder length dark hair and a lean face.

Intrigued she watched as he moved over to her. He was walking backwards, keeping his front to his friends. 

“Hey, uh Betty, right?” He said lowly over his shoulder.

“Yeah.” she answered confused.

“You’re friends with Kevin, the uh, Sheriff’s son?”

“Oh, yeah. Me and Kev go way back. Since we were really little.” If he was about to ask her to do something to Kevin she was gonna have to consider burning the whole bar down.

“Could you give him something for me?” The man reached into his jacket to pull out an envelope he handed back to her without turning around.

“Who should I say it’s from?” It was just a plain white envelope, not full letter size but smaller like the letter was written on stationary.

“Joaquin.” 

“Wait!” She called a little too loudly as he started to walk away, “Could you do something for me in exchange?” 

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++

‘When did it all become so awkward?’ Betty thought to herself as she sat in Archie’s garage. She’d done this a million times before. She grew up in this garage; she had even had her first kiss 30 ft away. There was a time when Archibald Andrews was the person who knew her best in the world but now he was little more than a stranger sitting across from her. Veronica, bless her, was trying to get the conversation going. Kevin looked just as uncomfortable as she was. The four of them were sitting around listening to Archie strum his guitar.

“So Betty, have you decided where you’re going in the fall? Not long now before admission deadlines begin.” Veronica said cheerfully.

“Wow, decided to start with the easy stuff. Nothing set yet, but I’m thinking I’ll stay on the East Coast, probably New York or Boston.”

“Oh we should so take on Boston together! We would dominate the Ivy’s! Can you imagine us strolling around the greens at Harvard? Plus, Secret Societies. I’m basically made for that type of life.”

“Have fun,” Archie said sarcastically, “I’ll be here. At community college.”

Veronica winced, then turned to the others, “His Juilliard audition didn’t go so well.”

“She means I sucked and never got a call back.” He swung his guitar off his neck.

Betty grimaced in sympathy, “I’m sorry, Arch. Didn’t you apply to some other schools in New York though? I know you get good grades. Isn’t there somewhere else that’s caught your eye? We could go on a road trip and visit some campuses.”

Archie huffed, “No Betty, I didn’t apply anywhere else. I know you guys told me to, and my Dad told me to, but I thought if I didn’t concentrate on Juilliard I’d fail. Now here I am, stuck.”

He thundered through the door to the house with Veronica fast on his heels.

“That boy is the dumbest kind of smart, I swear.” Kev said with a shake of his head. “But since we’re alone, you have Bond details to share. Spill that tea.”

“The only thing being spilled here is info on Joaquin. Who is he and why is he giving me letters for you?” Betty asked sneaking the envelope out of her pocket. She held it back when Kev tried to snatch it away.

“He is a fine young gentlemen I’ve been talking to who kisses like he means it. God he’s so hot.”

“You’re telling me what’s in this letter.” she warned as she handed it over.

“Tit for tat. This is the first time I’ve heard you talk about Boston for university. That wouldn’t have anything to do with your own Serpent Casanova?” Kev said as he peeked at the note. A wide smile split his face as he began to read it. Betty leaned over on the couch to try and read it over his shoulder but he leaned the other way.

Betty sighed, “Okay, maybe. There are a lot of colleges in that small area which means lots of options for both of us. Now how did you start hooking up with a Serpent?”

Kevin hid the note in his jacket, “I blame you. You brought up the whole ‘Moose is in the closet’ thing so I decided to venture out on a few dates. On a particularly bad first date, with a gentleman who smelled from several different areas, I saw a Serpent standing at the bar. He smiled, I smiled. We happened to go to the restroom at the same time and got talking. We escaped from my date together and the rest as they say is history. He’s out, you know. Not about dating me, but about being gay. Plus, again, so fucking hot.”

“Kevin has a boyfriend!” Betty sang.

“Kev has a boyfriend?” Veronica said excitedly as she returned with drinks. “Share!”

“He’s a super hot Serpent.” Betty said.

“Great, more Serpents.” Archie said from the doorway.

“Arch…” Veronica said with a warning in her voice.

“No, V! I’m sick of us all acting like Betty hasn’t become a whole different person since she started going to that high school. She jumped on the first guy who showed her any attention and now she’s dragged Kevin into it too?”

“Uh, no one dragged me anywhere.” Kevin corrected. “And have you even hung out with Jughead? He’s a great guy.”

“If he’s such a great guy then where is he right now? Why doesn’t he make time to come meet us? Why is Betty hiding him from us?”

“Where is this coming from Archie?” Betty demanded, “You’re talking about me like I’m not even here. If you’re mad at yourself for the bad decisions you’ve been making, leave me out of it. I still have a 4.0, I’m running a paper, and I’m dating someone great. He has a life too and if I was hiding him you wouldn’t know about him. Yeah, he happens to be a Serpent. So what?”

“So what? So he’s in a gang, Betty! Wake up! There’s no way he’s a good guy. And now Kevin’s just following your lead.”

“Kevin’s fucking leaving because you’re being a dick.” Kevin flipped Archie off as he walked out.

“And I’m following him! Look at that Archie, you’ve ruined your own party!”

Betty could hear Ronnie begin to rip into Archie before she was even on the sidewalk. She was so beyond annoyed, but she could see little bits of truth in his ranting. As much as she tried to fight it, she had changed and she wasn’t hiding Jughead but she was hiding their connection. Now she saw that Archie had changed too. He wasn’t the heroic figure in her imagination anymore. He was just a petulant child, taking his own anger out on others.

A flash of white hot anger mixed with an unhealthy dose of fear went through her. It was so brief, too short to be her own. The phone was in her hand without even thinking. She was on her way to Jughead’s long before he could say he was okay and to stay put.

++++++++++++

For the second time that night Betty could hear arguing outside of a house. This time it was Jughead’s house, his voice mixing with his father’s carrying across the lawn. Without hesitation she walked into the house over to the kitchen.

“-and now she’s here! Perfect!” F.P. yelled throwing his hands in the air.

“What are you doing here? I told you not to come.” Jughead yelled.

“I know, I just… Is everything okay here?”

F.P. leveled a stare at her, “Actually, settle this for me, would you? A little birdy told me you’ve been asking about initiation into the Serpents. Jughead here tells me there’s no way that could possibly be true. So which one is it?”

“I- Yes. I want to join the Serpents.” She hadn’t wanted him to find out like this.

“WHAT?” Jughead looked stunned, “No. I mean... what? Why wouldn’t you tell me? Why are you even…?” He just shook his head. Her head filled with his angry upset butterflies.

“From the horse’s mouth.” F.P. slammed a fist on the table. “Jug, I expect you to handle this.”

“F.P., Mr. Jones, if you would just consider talking to me, if I could just explain my thinking.” But he was already walking out the door, slamming it behind him.

She was alone with her bondmate, heart racing and head reeling. “That’s actually the third person I’ve seen storm out of a room today. It’s been that kind of a day.” 

“Betty, what were you thinking?” Jughead sat with his head in his hands.

“I was thinking that this is my place. People keep treating me like I’m a mirage, disappearing before your very eyes. I’m part of this. I deserve to be part of the gang.”

Jughead shook his head with frustration, “No one deserves to be in this situation. The blackmail, the drugs, the fucking beating that it took to get in. My survival tactic is not some fun game for you to play to convince me you’re not going to run when the going gets tough! I told you how dangerous this was. I begged you not to get involved and you immediately went behind my back to ask about getting into the gang?”

“This isn’t a game to me! Have you not seen our mark?” Betty began whispering, “Who do you think is the crown? And the pink snake? That’s me, Jug. I am a Serpent. Deep deep down in my soul it’s who I am. It’s right there for the world to see. I wouldn’t be considering this if you weren’t a Serpent, that’s true, but at some point you have to realize that I’m not the innocent girl you think I am.”

“You still just don’t get it!” Jughead shook his head, “I’m sorry Betty, but we can’t do this anymore.”

“Can’t do what, discuss this?”

“No Betty.”

Jug looked at her with all of the sadness welling under her breastbone, “I mean we can’t do this anymore.” He gestured between them.

“You think it’s time for the break up? Okay, let’s take a few weeks-”

“Not a fake one, Betty. I’m talking about a real break. Go off to college. Find your major and your career. When you settle down, you can give me a call and we’ll see how we feel.”

Misery welled heavily between them.

She was stunned, “No. Just no Jug! I tried to stay away, I did and it didn’t work. We don’t work like that. We’re linked. We’re together.”

“No, we were together. Now we’re just two people who happen to share a heart beat.”

Tears blurred Betty’s vision, “This is beyond stupid. We need each other. You need to get out of this town, and I’m going to be a Serpent. With or without you.”

This time Betty was the one to slam the door on the way out.


	11. Sweetwater

Betty jumped when Alice slammed the door shut behind her. She smacked her purse on the ground and yanked her jacket off to puddle on the floor. Betty’s eyes went wide, she instantaneously forgot about the book in her lap.

“Bad date?”

Alice paced the floor a few times muttering angrily to herself before turning to Betty, “Catfished, Betty. I’ve been catfished. I don’t even care that he wasn’t the weight in his picture, I don’t care that he’s older than he claimed to be. I just want someone who's willing to be honest with me. Is that so much to ask for? What’s the point in putting all that fake crap up on the internet if I’m going to meet you in person?”

Betty wrapped her cozy blanket a little tighter around herself, “I know you want to try dating the right way, but maybe you should date yourself for a while? You don’t look like someone living a fun carefree lifestyle.”

“Says the 18 year old who is sitting around reading a book on a Friday night. Did you do anything else tonight?”

_I spent almost an hour masturbating just to frustrate my recent ex-boyfriend. Does that count?_

“I have plans to hang out with people tomorrow.”

Alice had that look in her eye, the reporter look, “If I didn’t know any better I’d say you were moping about a boy.”

Betty scowled and scoffed but couldn’t mutter any false protestations. She was moping, but dammit, she felt entitled to mope. All of that research, all those statistics and not one of them warned her what it would feel like to break up with him. It was probably why no one fake broke up with their bond mate, why the divorce rates were so low. She could feel him missing her. When their eyes caught in the hall his heart would start to race, his chest would pang with longing if he caught glimpses of her in town. Her own blossoming hurt would twang back at him. It was a dizzying cycle of self-loathing for something beyond their control.

She wanted to shake some sense into him. Was it worth it? Was this gnawing ache all worth it just to keep her from earning her jacket? Well screw him if he thought something as insignificant as their break up was going to stop her from pursuing her rightful place. He couldn’t hold out forever. Every once in awhile his resistance would start to break down. He’d catch her in a smile and they’d both be filled with warmth, like stepping out of the shade into sunlight. He’d try to squash the feeling as fast as he could, but it wasn’t quick enough. It was futile, she’d win him back. How could you possibly stay away from someone who shared your every whim and heartbeat? Did he think he could fool the bond into releasing its hold on their limbic systems? Could he have lost faith so quickly in the magic she’d just found?

“It’s not a boy, Mom.” Betty lied easily, “I just can’t believe I’m so stuck on the murder case.”

“Pfft, old news. Nobody cares anymore. Now that Polly’s moved out we don’t have to interact with that family except on major holidays, and even barely then. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go make more dates online.”

Betty rolled her eyes, “Seriously, Mom? It’s been less than an hour since the last disaster.”

“Back on the horse!” Alice said with one finger held up.

A light tapping sounded at their door. Betty could hear Alice psyching herself up in her bedroom so Betty answered it herself. She was surprised to find her red-headed friend on the other side. 

“Archie? What are you doing here?”

He pulled a box of chocolates out from behind his back, “Peace offering?”

She made them both tea as they sat down at the kitchen table. They looked awkwardly at everything except each other.

“How’ve you been?” Archie said with that small earnest smile she was used to.

“Fine. Or okay. I guess.”

“Yeah. Me too.”

More awkward silence passed.

“Betty-” “Arch-” they started at the same time.

“I think,” Betty started in the pause, “that we both owe each other some apologies. I feel like I haven’t seen you all year. You’re my best friend, or you used to be. I’d like to go back to that. Remember us confiding in each other? All those hopes and dreams? Your fireman phase followed oddly enough by your brief interior designer phase?”

They both laughed, “I just wanted an excuse to paint my entire room red. Mom would have freaked.” Archie laughed.

“I’ve missed you, but I missed this version of you. Not the angry man I see wearing your face around these days.”

“And I miss the Betty with the ponytail and bright smile. Where did she go?”

Betty sighed, “I guess we both lost some part of ourselves this year. I think this is the first time you’ve been in this apartment since moving day.”

Archie nodded, “It’s hard not having you next door. Just nodding at you across windows made me feel like we were on the same page. Since you moved, and now that everyone’s leaving for college except me, it’s like I’m anticipating loneliness because I know it’s coming. I know I should be enjoying these last few months together but this angry monster keeps coming out. I keep taking it out on you and I shouldn’t. It’s not fair, and I’m sorry.”

Betty let go of her mug to take one of his hands into her warmed fingers, “I’m sorry too. I kept telling myself to make the effort to include you guys, but I shut you out. I’ve shut everyone out. I’ve been keeping secrets, Arch, and I don’t want to anymore. I’m not ready to share them just yet, but I will be soon. I just need to sort some things out in my head.”

“I’ll be waiting, right here.”

They shared a brief embrace over the table. Betty smiled, “V sent you, didn’t she?”

“I’m not entirely sure I make any of my own decisions anymore.” they laughed.

“Want to sit on the couch and drink too much soda, eat too much popcorn, and watch Goonies?” Betty offered.

“As if I would ever say no to that!”

As Betty giggled Jughead’s mood soured across the plains. She ignored it.

++++++++++++++

“Betty, this is an intervention.” Cheryl said in that sickly sweet voice that meant she was happily delivering bad news. 

It was supposed to be a quiet lunch, a get together of the Northsiders dating Southsiders. Betty knew it had been far too easy to set it up. The small headache Jughead had been nursing began to blossom behind Betty’s eyes as well, at least he was blissfully asleep instead of surrounded by traitors. 

Betty huffed and looked at the other nodding faces. Only Kevin looked mildly confused. He turned to Joaquin for answers. “Intervention about what?”

“About what? About Betty trying to become a Serpent, that’s what.” Toni answered.

They were in a shack somewhere on Serpent property. It was an old cabin with wooden benches and a loft to fit a mattress. It smelled of mildew and flakes of snow had managed to creep in between cracks in the roof. Overall it fit the ambiance of the talk Betty was getting. She should have known while trudging through the snow that it was a terrible idea to come.

“You’re trying to become a Serpent?” Kevin squeaked. 

Betty pleaded with her eyes for him to be sympathetic to her case but he turned away. She was the 5th wheel in the party. Kevin and Joaquin huddled near each other while Toni and Cheryl exchanged meaningful glances on the other side.

“Yes, I’m trying to become a Serpent. Yes, I still want to be one even though Jughead dumped me. Yes, I know your objections and I’ve carefully considered each one. This is what I want, but since no one in the gang will give me even the slightest hint about initiation, this is a pretty moot point. Oh, and Joaquin, thanks for telling F.P. that I asked the moment I left the room. Really appreciated it. Can we please just leave and go eat or something?”

Toni answered, “No. Not until we talk about how stupid you’re being and about all these risks you’re taking.”

“I’m not taking any risks.” Betty said.

It was a blatant lie. Leaving Archie sleeping on the couch the night before was risky. Sneaking out at 2 A.M. without anyone knowing where she was going was even more risky. Breaking into Penny’s office was beyond risky.

But that was just who Betty was now. It didn’t matter if there were risks to take. Trying to get into the Serpents was getting her nowhere, Betty needed information and Penny’s office was the only place to get it. She consciously tried to control her reactions as she picked locks and shuffled through files. Whenever she started to get worked up she would take slow even breaths until it was back under control. 

Penny’s office wasn’t the cache of information she hoped it’d be. All the files she could find were legitimate cases filled with legal documents. Betty rifled carefully through every drawer nook and cranny she could find. She found some whiskey, a set of keys, but nothing of interest. With just as much care, she put everything back the way she found it.

3:00 in the morning found Betty sitting on the floor of a legal office, wondering what exactly she thought she was doing with her life. A warm bed was waiting for her just feet away from a good friend she was trying to reconnect with, but in the back of her mind Clifford’s body still swung. 

“Yes you are.” Toni said with frustration, “Let me spell this out for you. Two years ago this chick started coming around and flirting with F.P. She went on and on about how great he was and how he should let her into the Serpents. But F.P., he’s no chump. He could smell a rat. One day she asks if he wants her to start running drugs for him or selling guns on the side.”

“That’s when he came to us,” Joaquin picked up the story, “So we snatched her up, brought her to the Wyrm and asked her what she thought she was doing. Turns out, she was an undercover deputy.”

“A deputy?” Betty looked to Kevin for confirmation. He shook his head, just as amazed by the story as she was.

“You know what entrapment is, Betts?” Cheryl said with a scowl.

“And that’s what you think I’m doing? Toni, you can’t possibly actually believe that I’m really here just to get a story.”

Toni’s face showed just how clearly she disagreed.

“Is that why you hate me so much? Because you think I started dating Jughead just to get close to the Serpent Prince for some lame story to be run in a high school newspaper?”

“If Cinderella’s slipper fits.” Toni said with a shrug.

“Wait, Southside doesn’t even have deputies. They have police officers.” Betty mind snagged on the detail.

“They do now.” Toni scoffed, “FP threatened to sue the Sheriff’s office for their conduct. In exchange he was offered a hush settlement and jurisdictions changed. Now anything that isn’t proper Riverdale is under police instead of the Sheriff’s office.”

Betty jumped to her feet, “That’s it! I know who killed Clifford Blossom!” she shouted excitedly.

Suddenly, Betty’s ankle cracked throwing her to her knees.

Before she could even register the pain she was inexplicably choking on air.

Then the cold came rushing at her, it was all consuming. She had fallen to the floor and couldn’t even move. She was numb as if she’d been tossed into a snowbank without the thick downy coat she knew was still wrapped around her.

“What the fuck.” Toni whispered as Betty gasped on the floor.

Panic cascaded through Betty’s body. Her torso suddenly felt a different kind of cold than her legs. Something less sapping and more prickling. A moment later and it was all the same again, back and forth it ebbed.

“Water!” Betty managed to cry out between coughs.

“Okay, I’ll get you some!” Toni said rushing out.

“No! No! The river!” 

It had to be. Jughead was bobbing in and out of the frozen river. Lungfuls of air were getting pulled into him before he plunged back into it. 

“Get up! Get Up! GET UP!” Betty shouted uselessly into the quiet of the cabin. The other four looked on helplessly as she thrashed. Jughead’s heartbeat skyrocketed taking Betty’s with it.

“Jesus, you’re freezing!” Kevin announced as he tried to help her to her feet.

“No!” She panted, “Not me.”

“Oh God,” Kevin whispered, “Is it Jughead? What do we do?”

“What do you mean? How can it be Jughead?” Toni asked frantically. Then it dawned on her, “No fucking way.”

Betty needed warmth, and she needed it now. Not the kind of warmth that could come from a blanket, she needed body heat. Jughead’s temp was falling dangerously low. 

Betty forced herself up to her feet and started to run. It was the best way she knew to heat her core.

With nothing but sheer will Betty ran as fast as she could towards the river. Shouts followed behind her, but she had no time to listen. She could vaguely hear footsteps following behind her and the roaring of a motorcycle.

The river was half a mile away. She blindly ignored everything but the clear path in her mind. The few short minutes it took her to get there stretched out to an eternity but once she was there it was no better. The river was long, so very long.

“FP! Get to the river! NOW!” Toni screamed into her phone as Betty searched the horizon.

There was a flash of black out of the corner of Betty’s eye in the direction of a bridge. She sprinted off towards it. As she came closer she could see Jughead choke down a mouthful of air before he slid back into the hole.

“Betty, STOP!” Joaquin grabbed her by the arms then bear hugged her tight to his chest.

“LET ME GO! I HAVE TO GET TO HIM!” she screamed across the ice.

“You’ll fall through! Let Toni do it, she’s smaller. Calm down. Breathe.”

“I can’t,” she sobbed, “I can’t because he can’t.”

Betty was close enough now to see that Jughead’s arms were tied behind his back. Toni belly crawled over to him. She pulled on his shoulders until half of his body was up on the ice and she sliced through the ropes with a knife, releasing his hands. More roaring pierced the quiet as motorcycles descended the banks.

All Betty could hear were Jughead’s desperate breaths and the chatter of her own teeth. Then he was up on his feet limping quickly towards her.

“Betty! Betty! You have to give it back!” he pleaded with her. She was so confused. Nothing was making sense.

“You took all the cold! All of it! You have to give it back to me! It’s killing you!”

She looked down at her hands. They were ice blue compared to his own healthy pink fingers.

“No, you’re wet. It’s not safe.” She slurred out through numb lips.

“Damn it, Betts!” Jughead stripped off his sopping wet jacket and produced a Swiss Army knife in one movement. He shoved Joaquin away, slid her arm out of her coat pocket, and sliced off the sleeve of her shirt leaving her mark exposed in the cold air. Shocked gasps echoed around them. He cut a slit up his own sleeve and forced her hand onto his flesh as he grabbed onto her mark.

She cut off a scream as heat rushed across her frozen skin. Jughead groaned as the cold that was rightfully his returned to his muscles.

“They need a hospital. NOW!” Cheryl said as she dragged them off. Betty’s feet would barely follow her commands; her head was completely fogged.

“Toni, you have to save her. Her first.” Jughead said as shivers wracked his body.

“No.” Betty protested weakly before she finally collapsed into a strong pair of arms.


	12. Police Work

Betty jolted straight up in the hospital bed only to be snagged back by the wires strapped to her arms. 

“JUGHEAD!” She screamed. A nurse spilled her clipboard onto the floor with a shout.

“Man, you weren’t kidding about her waking up fast.” F.P. said. He was leaning against the window at the edge of the room. In the doorway a doctor nodded his head as he checked over a file. He was at least 80 years old and leaned heavily on one foot. He thanked the rattled nurse as she left the room

“Where is he?” Betty pleaded as she took stock of the situation. There were no other patients inside the eggshell white walls of the room. A whiteboard across from her bed listed her time of admittance as 12:35 PM. A clock on the wall said it was nearing 2:00.

“Relax, he’s just next door. They thought it would be a good idea to separate the two of you.” F.P. said with a nod at the doctor. “I figured Jughead would want me to stay with you instead of going with him.”

“Well, I’m going over there.” Betty said determinedly. 

The doctor bristled, “Just hold on for a moment little lady. I was called in because I’m an A.N.S.S. specialist and we have to have a chat about what that means. Now, I’ve got you two in a quarantine lockdown, most people think it’s for a measles outbreak, but we’re trying to contain information.”

Betty wasn’t listening, she was untangling herself from her I.V.s and wires. ”I’m checking myself out A.M.A. I’m an adult so you can’t call my mother and there’s nothing you can do about it.”

The moment her feet hit the cold linoleum floor F.P.’s hands were on her shoulders. “Slow down, Cooper! We had to drag your unconscious sack of bones here only two hours ago. Your temps kept cycling back and forth, one minute you were cold and he was hot and then you’d switch. We didn’t know who to treat when. Your heartbeat went way out of whack, and let me tell you how freaky it was to see both of your monitors doing the same damn thing. You need rest.”

Betty wasn’t listening, she was shoving him away to gather a plastic bag with her clothing in it. “No, I don’t. What I need to do is go work on a case. Jughead didn’t accidentally fall in the water. Somebody did this to him and we have to go get them before they can hurt anyone else.”

The old doctor ambled over to her, “Let’s start over. Ms. Cooper, I’m Dr. Owens. How about we call the police and you can talk to them about what you think happened after you spend some time with me?”

She brushed past him into the bathroom. F.P. pounded on the door for her to let him in. Her ankle still throbbed from an injury she knew wasn’t hers, her head pounded with an ache Jughead was merely passing along. She didn’t have time to play along with the adults.

Once her damp clothes were in place, she stormed out the door, “You might as well tell me where he is or I’ll find him myself.” The men looked at each other but remained silent.

“JUG!” She shouted down the hall.

Toni’s head popped out of a doorway and waved her over. “You know I had to sit through an hour long video about confidentiality crap?”

When Betty reached the doorway Toni pulled her into a tight hug. “I’m not apologizing. I just may be nicer to you from now on.”

“If you want to be nice to me you can start by getting us a ride out of here.”

“Way ahead of you, I sent Cheryl to go warm the car the moment F.P. walked out of Jug’s hospital room. Something about the two of you regaining consciousness quicker if you weren't in the same room.”

“Excellent. One more thing, I need you to start telling people that Jughead died.”

“F.P. was calling around making funeral plans all afternoon. Anyone who wasn’t at the river, and even a few who were, think it’s time to start tagging R.I.P. over his name. Like I said, I’m ahead of you. Always.”

“ _We_ are ahead of you.” F.P. said sternly as he stalked down the hall.

“Good, now we need to get ahead of them.” Betty finally made her way into Jughead’s room. He was frantically pulling on a pair of scrubs.

“What the hell were you thinking running out onto the river like that!” He yelled at her even as he gathered her into his arms.

With his arms wrapped around her the frenetic energy that had been thrumming in her since the moment she woke was calmed.

“I was thinking that you needed help, you jerk!” She shot back with no real heat. “And I think it’s partially my fault. What do you remember from yesterday?”

“Not much. I was hit on the back of the head and next thing I know, I’m being thrown over a bridge into the river. I hit ankle first, breaking it and the ice. You know the rest. The men who tossed me were big and wearing masks, but they felt familiar.”

“I think I may know who they were. We’ll talk more in the car.”

For the first time since their break up Betty felt completely in sync with Jughead again. It wasn’t just a force passing along their bond. It was them working toward the same goal, in step with each other. She hadn’t understood how jarring it was to feel like they weren’t on the same page, even if it hadn’t lasted long at all. It wasn’t the time or place for a relationship talk though. There was work to do.

“By car do you mean my car?” F.P. demanded “Because there’s no way I’m letting you morons out of sight. You should have told me. Dammit Jug, why didn’t you just tell me?”

F.P.’s face was a mix of angry and utterly heart broken. His eyes kept straying to his son’s visible mark. With no layers or jackets to hide the lines it seemed impossibly dark against the contrast of the light blue scrub shirt.

Betty wrapped a hand around F.P.’s arm, “Mr. Jones, please. We’ll talk to you, I promise. We’ll sit down and tell you everything when this is over.”

“Not just me,” he glowered, “If you don’t tell Alice I’ll tell her myself. Confidentiality rules be damned. A parent deserves to know these things.”

Jughead cut in between “And what about Mom? And Hal? Are you going to tell them too?”

“I don’t consider them parents.” 

Jughead looked stunned, his chest welled with ache and longing. Betty couldn’t stand the feeling.

“Mr. Jones, if you really want to help, I have something for you to do.”

“What’s that?”

Betty began to walk swiftly down the hall toward the exit, she knew that everyone would follow after. She whipped out her cell phone and dialed Archie’s number, “I need you to start a riot.”

++++++++++++++++++++++++++

All the players were set. Now they just had to pray that everything went off smoothly. Betty felt insanely bad for who she was getting mixed up in all of this, but there wasn’t time to do anything else. They could only let the town think Jughead was dead for so long before someone let it slip. Betty and Jughead watched over Toni’s Facetime as Archie and F.P. squared off. At Archie’s back the students of Riverdale were moving restlessly. Behind F.P. a wall of Serpents loomed. The shouting match began. Both sides accusing the other of monstrous things. Glass crashed in the background. The sides rushed at each other. Veronica sucked in a huge breath next to them.

“Here we go.” Jughead whispered. 

Jughead’s presence at her side was intoxicating, she was drowning in it. Her fingers reached for his arm reflexively before she clenched them and brought them back down to her side. Over and over she reached for him. Veronica’s presence at her other side stopped her.

Movement caught her eye, “There!”

From their vantage point in the bushes across the street they watched as officers streamed out of the police station and into their cruisers. 

“No way, they did not just leave the entire place empty.” Jughead said skeptically.

“I told you it would work if we got enough people. This is a small town, they can’t afford to leave anyone behind if half of Riverdale and Southside decide to start punching each other. If we’re lucky the only person left will be dispatch. That’s where you come in, Ronnie.” 

“You owe me so many milkshakes and explanations for this.” Ronnie huffed.

They crossed quickly over to the glass door at the entrance. Ronnie entered with her chin up high, a designer bag hanging off her wrist near the waist of her curve hugging dress. She had all the command the Lodge name held in her swagger.

“Um, excuse me? I need to talk to someone right away.”

The old woman behind the desk looked at Veronica over her reading glasses, “There’s no one here but me, Sweetie. You’ll have to wait.”

“Well that is simply unacceptable!” As Veronica stomped over to the desk Betty and Jughead snuck in behind her and over to the locked door that separated the lobby from the rest of the station.

Jughead covered Betty as she crouched to work on the lock. The lock tumblers slid into place. The lock turned with ease. Despite her bravado, Betty opened the door cautiously; No one was inside. Betty locked the door behind them then they crawled past the receptionists desk to the next door leading from the lobby to the desks.

“This place really is deserted, they are terrible cops.” Jughead said in awe.

“That’s what I’m banking on.”

Jughead whispered, “Are you finally going to tell me what we are looking for here?”

Betty shot back, “Are you going to go outside and keep watch like I asked you to?”

“Not a chance in hell, Cooper. We’re stuck like glue.”

“But you’d make the perfect look out! You wouldn’t even have to say anything. If you see them come back you’ll panic and I’ll feel it. No signal necessary. Plus no way you can run on that ankle.”

He glared in response.

“Fine, here’s my hunch. We know this has something to do with Penny. What I couldn’t figure out was why anyone would leave out hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of dollars worth of drugs and money at the murder scene. Then I realized, it was a bribe.”

“A bribe for who? Clifford was dead, the surviving Blossoms didn’t take it.”

“For the police.” They found the file room. Betty began to shuffle quickly through files. “You said Penny had you deliver drugs, which means she had access. You’ve been gathering intel for her which means she’s probably been blackmailing people for money. She’s the only person who could leave that kind of cache behind. Toni said that after a sheriff tried to blackmail your dad the deputies no longer covered anything outside of Riverdale property. The Blossom estate is technically outside city limits, it’s the perfect place to leave all of that behind where the police can get it. It’s private enough to not be seen, but the Blossoms are famous enough that everyone would hear about it. It would be public enough that everyone would know exactly how much money and drugs were left behind.”

Jughead began to rifle through papers as well, “Because if she gave the officers bribes in private they might begin to suspect each other of taking more than their share and turn on each other. Okay, let’s say I buy it. Why bribe the police at all? She wasn’t about to get caught, half of this police force are Serpents anyway.”

“Because she’s also blackmailing Serpents, just like you. More importantly,” Betty held up a file triumphantly then opened it for Jughead.

“Holy shit.” It was the file on Jughead. It had still frame pictures of him unloading a crate at the address Penny had given him years ago. “She wanted a secure place to keep her backup. What’s more secure than the police station? Now she’s got the police in her pocket to keep her files and destroy evidence when needed.”

“One more file to find.” The name was nowhere to be found, then it hit Betty like a flash of lightning. She shoved all the files as hard as she could to the back of the cabinet. Hidden underneath all of the other files was the name Blossom.

Inside was a trove of pictures, “Oh my God!” Betty breathed in disgust.

“It’s Tall Boy. She took pictures of him stringing up Clifford. Jesus, why would she do that? Why wouldn’t he destroy them?”

It was graphic. Tall Boy’s arms strained with effort as he heaved a purple faced struggling Clifford to the top of the rafter.

Betty swallowed bile, “Mutually assured destruction. If he tries to turn on her she has the pictures backed up. If she tries to turn on him, he’s got her blackmail files. They knew they couldn’t trust each other unless they killed Clifford together.”

“We need to get this to the Sheriff. I’ll call F.P., you call Archie. It’s time to go public.”

They made it out through the back door of the station mere seconds before the officers started to bring in cuffed offenders. 

When they were a few blocks away in an empty alleyway, files still in hand, Betty let her elation take over, “We did it!” She wrapped her arms around Jughead’s neck. “We have to tell Cheryl and Toni! Oh and Jason! There’s still so much to do, but we have proof now. You won’t have to pretend to be dead and-”

Jughead removed her arms from his neck with a solemn look.

“Oh come on!” Betty yelled at him. “You still want to be broken up? What the hell is the matter with you?!”

“There was an assassination attempt on me. TODAY! And it nearly killed both of us. Do you think Penny doesn’t have backups of what’s in this file? She’s going to take half of Southside down with her when she gets arrested, myself included. You just had to break into a police station to catch a murderer that I collect information for. Betty, I can’t be what you need me to be.”

“All I need you to be is you! Have you even seen the evidence on you? It’s pictures of you with a crate. She can’t prove what’s inside, she can’t prove you thought it was drugs even if that’s what’s in there. What we can do is prove blackmail. You aren’t taking me down with you, I’m picking you up with me.”

He brought her face close to his. He nuzzled against her as if he just couldn’t help himself, “What if it’s always like this? Me getting you into trouble? You getting hurt because of me? You were dying, I saw you. So blue and cold, lifeless. I don’t think I can do that again.”

“Juggie, I’m a mess. I walk into danger all the time,I get pulled into stories because I want to be there. I was going to be part of Clifford’s murder investigation with or without you. You got pulled into that van and tossed into a river because I broke into Penny’s office. It isn’t your fault. It’s mine.”

He pressed a firm kiss to her lips, “We’re worse together than we are apart. Can’t you see that we’ll tear each other to shreds?”

She tangled her fingers in his hair and forced him to look down into her eyes. The air around them was freezing with winter air, but all she could feel was the warmth of that gaze.

“I didn’t understand, but I do now. I thought that A.N.S.S. was this bullshit bond that forced people into thinking that they were in love and meant to be together. It’s not, it’s the other way around. The bond didn’t happen first. We were always soulmates, we’ve always been soulmates. I was never going to be able to live without you. I know now that even if this hadn’t happened, we were still going to find each other. I’ll never stop loving you, I wouldn’t know how.”

Jughead wiped away a stray tear that escaped down her cheek, “I love you too, Betty Cooper. I can’t believe I haven’t told you that before.”

For a few precious languid moments they stood kissing in the frigid air swirling against the brick walls around them.

“Fine.” Jughead conceded, “We’re together. But I have a few stipulations. First, we’re telling your mother. She’s can’t meet me at our wedding, it’s tacky. Second, we’re meeting with that A.N.S.S. doctor, he didn’t seem terrible. Third, just because we’re bonded it does not mean we’re sharing bylines as a couple. Ever. I’m not writing ‘by Mr. and Mrs Jones’ on any articles or books, I hate it when bonded couples do that.”

Betty giggled helplessly into his shoulder, “Sounds perfect.”


	13. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for making it all the way to the end of this story with me! I had this concept stuck in my head for a long time and I'm glad I wasn't the only person who wanted to read this story.

“SETTLE DOWN!” Sheriff Keller boomed over the roar of people in his office, filled to the brim with people. The entire Blossom family, the Andrews men, Alice, F.P., Toni, Veronica, and Kevin were all talking at once, creating an awful echo chamber.

“Now, instead of all of you talking over each other and getting nowhere, I’m going to tell you when to speak and about what or I will hold half of this room in cells overnight. Am I understood?”

The room replied with sullen nodding. Once everyone looked thoroughly chastised, he tried again. “Alright then. F.P., I heard about your boy, and I’m very sorry, but that does not give you the excuse to go punching teenagers and starting riots!”

Fred sat up in his chair, “What about your boy? What’s wrong with Jughead?”

Penelope Blossom smirked and raised an eyebrow, “You didn’t hear? That little miscreant drowned in the river this morning. He was probably drunk or high.”

Cheryl scoffed, “Wow, Mommy. You really don’t have a heart at all, do you?”

Fred laid a comforting hand on F.P.’s shoulder and squeezed.

Penelope grimaced at Cheryl’s hand in Toni’s, “At least I have a house, which is more than I can say for you after today’s little demonstrations.”

Alice rolled her eyes, “Of course you’re more upset about the gender of your daughter’s significant other than about a dead child.”

Keller slammed a fist down on his table, “Am I going crazy? I could have sworn I just told everyone in this room to hold their tongues. F.P., what makes you think these high schoolers have anything to do with-”

“What are you even doing here?” Penelope continued undeterred as she glared Alice down.

“I’m a reporter and as a citizen of this city I deserve to know why there was chaos in the streets and why we’re not doing anything about the fact that Jughead is DEAD!”

The doors to Keller’s office swung open revealing Betty and a limping Jughead. “Actually, I’m not quite dead yet.”

“What the hell is going on here?” Fred demanded.

Keller came around his desk to meet the teens, “That’s exactly what I’m trying to figure out! Jughead, why did I spend all morning hearing about you drowning? Hell, we’ve been making calls to crisis counselors to show up at the school. You better have a damn good explanation for all of this.”

“I wouldn’t mind one myself.” Archie was sporting a dark black bruise around his left eye.

“Archie, I’m so sorry I dragged you into this,” Betty apologized, “Sheriff Keller, we asked F.P. and Archie to start a riot so that we could go into the Southside Police Precinct to collect evidence of bribery and for the murder of Clifford Blossom.”

Betty handed him the file she had, complete with the pictures of Tall Boy and the body.

“Damn it, Cooper! What’d I tell you about gathering evidence on your own like this? Alright, you two, sit the hell down and tell me everything.”

Between telling the story and dealing with all of the interjections from the Blossoms and Alice, it took nearly two hours to get through the whole thing. Keller just kept rubbing at his temples and nodding. He only spoke to quiet down the commentary from the onlookers. When Betty finished her tale he sat quietly for a few moments with his arms crossed.

“Just let me see if I have this straight. Betty, you found footprints and somehow traced them to Penny Peabody, she then went to kill Jughead because she thinks he is the one that traced them back. You saved Jughead from drowning in the river, decided that Penny must be working with police, convinced these knuckleheads to start a fight in the streets, then broke into the station to prove everything?”

“We’ve heard enough.” Jason stood up and straightened his shirt, “Our father was murdered and the police conspired to cover it up. Sheriff, when our lawyers arrive imminently to take custody of that evidence it better all be there. Don’t think I trust you either in this mess. I expect warrants to be issued and arrests made within the hour. Betty, compensation for your skills will arrive later this week.” Jason and Penelope breezed out of the room looking just as smug as always.

Keller sighed, “Ah Christ. This is a hell of a mess you’re all tangled up in. Betty, Jughead, I have to charge you with breaking into the station just to make the evidence admissible in court. F.P. and Arch, I’m charging both of you with disturbing the peace, though I’m glad the kid’s in one piece after all. Betty, how’d you find him anyway?”

The couple looked at each other, nodded,and then each dropped one sleeve revealing the matching arm bands. The room exploded in chatter. Alice clasped her hands to her mouth in shock.

“I KNEW IT!” Veronica shouted excitedly from her perch next to Archie. “I knew it! Didn’t I tell you, Archie? Betty wouldn’t ditch us for just any boy.”

“You are finishing college before you get married, missy!” Alice warned.

As the excited talking and congratulations grew louder and louder Sheriff Keller thumped his head down on the desk, “This fucking day.” 

++++++++++++++++++++

Betty turned off her car with a sigh of relief as they got to the bluff overlooking the water. The moonlight glittered across the snow and ice. “I’m so glad we’re finally away from everybody! I feel like I haven’t seen you in weeks.”

Jughead was next to her, looking and feeling more relaxed than she’d ever seen. He leaned in to put a hand on her cheek. He guided her into a soft intense kiss then broke it with a sweet smile.

“I know exactly what you mean. Between breaking the story, talking to the doctor, having to go on a mall date with Veronica and having Alice ask me every imaginable question, I don’t think we’ve been allowed within five feet of each other for a month.”

They swung their doors open. Betty went to the back seat to retrieve a picnic basket while Jughead readied the blankets and zipped together the sleeping bags. They huddled together in their nest, talking and drinking the champagne Veronica had packed away for them. Betty cuddled into Jughead’s warmth as she sipped from the bottle. Their connection was fuzzy from the alcohol but amazingly steady. Secure.

“What do you have to do for your community service hours?” Betty asked him while passing over the bottle.

“I’ve got 50 hours working in the local animal shelter. I think it’s actually going to be pretty cool. How about you? Have you been assigned yet?”

Betty nodded, “Yeah, they want me to go tutor underprivileged kids on the Southside. Pretty damn lenient I’d say.”

“No kidding, I think that judge really liked us. I guess it didn’t hurt that we were working against people who tried to murder us. I’ll take community service over the 30 to life that Penny and Tall Boy will be in jail for, especially with how many Serpents are looking for some payback.” The trial had been swift. They’d both pleaded guilty to get deals, not that it helped them much.

It did help Betty though. When she dreamt, the rafters of the Blossom barn no longer had a rope hanging, just twinkle lights shining down on a wedding. Clifford’s swinging body was gone for good.

“It’s crazy to think about how badly everything could have gone.” she whispered as the wind picked up.

Talking to the A.N.S.S. doctor had been eye opening and in the worst way. He scolded them for not at least contacting a bonding agency. As they came to find out, googling A.N.S.S. after bonding was like being told you had cancer then thinking you could treat yourself using Web MD. 

There were different levels of bonding; they registered at a 5 on a scale of 7. Sharing heartbeats was considered a medical issue, it meant their limbic systems were so entangled that the bond couldn’t have withstood separation. If they’d gone more than 25 miles from each other they could have died from heart failure. The doctor laid it out, in no uncertain terms, that they survived through sheer luck and their natural thrall to be near each other. 

He asked them hard questions, like what if Betty someday needed an emergency C-section, what would they have done? If one of them got in a car accident, how would the hospital know how to go treat the other? What if they hadn’t found Jughead in time? How could they save Betty? They needed medic alert bracelets and notes in their medical files. On and on he went. Betty kind of hated him, but he made strong points. Registering wasn’t really an option for them, it had to be done. All they could do was try to keep it as confidential as possible, which the doctors could help with.

It left them feeling humiliated, but with a clear path. They were both headed to Boston in the fall to share an apartment thanks to the generous fee Jason Blossom paid Betty for the evidence clearing Clifford of suicide.

“Betts, I love you, but it is freezing out here! Why’d you want to come out here anyway?” Jughead blew hot air into their combined hands to warm them up.

“Because, this is where everything happened.” She wrapped her arms around his neck then pulled herself into his lap.

“Think about it. If we hadn’t come to this river that night to catch Grundy, we would have never had to run. You wouldn’t have touched me, who knows if you ever would have. We pulled you out of this river which lead to us getting back together. Sweetwater is part of our story. Plus, who else is crazy enough to come up here with this weather? No one. This is our spot and I wanted to be here alone with you for once.” 

“It has been a while since we’ve been alone.” He said in hushed tones as his lips grew closer to hers.

Their mouths ignited the rest of them. They tumbled fervently into the bond together. Now that she wasn’t fighting it anymore, Betty could submerge herself into the pulse of their coupling. She had to pull herself out of the ebb of their arousal just to get her hands to work enough to start tugging at Jughead’s belt. As it so often did, his thumb caressed up her neck to tilt her head so he could take the soft skin there into his mouth. It had been so long that she felt flooded with sensation. She had to stop and moan in delight.

Which is of course exactly when her phone rang.

They let out twin groans of frustration instead of heat.

She let her forehead rest against his as she fumbled for her phone. “It’s Mom, again. I’m sure of it. She spent months, literal actual months telling me to go find my soulmate and then when I do, she spends her every waking moment making sure we can’t spend any time together. Do you know how many boxes of condoms she’s left everywhere ‘just in case’? So far seven. And yet she’s doing her very best to make sure I can never use one! 

“There!” she declared as she silenced her phone, “Now where were we?”

Jughead smiled, “I think we were right about-”

His phone began to ring. They groaned again. “Seriously?”

“What?!” Jughead shouted into his phone, “No, Toni, I’m not free right now. I’m hanging u- What do you mean heist? Who?!? Well is Fred going to be okay?”

Betty was already out of the coziness and into the chill of the wind packing up.

“Yeah… got it… we’ll be there in a few. Bye.” he turned to Betty, “We have to get to-”

She tossed the keys at him, “You can drive. Hurry!”

He grinned at her, “This is why I love you, Cooper.”

“Good, because you’re stuck with me, Jones. Now come on my love, there’s a mystery to solve!”


End file.
